Conserve J&K’s mountains
It was a horrific sight to see a large stretch of mountain crumbling like a pack of cards on Baramulla-Uri highway recently. Bewildered commuters had a narrow escape as tons of stones and soil came crumbling down from the mountain to block the road.
This was not a natural disaster but man-made! Amid road expansion near Eco-Park, there have been frequent landslides in the area. In view of frequent landslides, the Government is mulling to make the Jhelum Valley Road an alternative to the Baramulla–Uri Highway which passes through Old Baramulla Town.
Experts blame unscientific cutting, drilling and blasting of mountains for recurring landslides. In such eco-sensitive projects, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be made mandatory.
Landslides have become a frequent feature mostly in areas where road explanation and tunnel construction works are going in Jammu and Kashmir. We need to understand the mechanism of landslides which are triggered due to complex geographical, geomorphic, and geological settings besides high precipitation and increasing anthropogenic activities like heavy traffic, deforestation and road cutting.
270-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway has become highly prone to landslides due to ongoing road expansion works. The highway is considered to be Kashmir’s lifeline as it is the main surface link to the valley. Frequent closure of the highway has been taking a toll on people as it causes disruption in supply of essential items in winter.
Last year heavy rains and cloudbursts triggered landslides and flash floods burying a large stretch of mountainous Ramban area on the highway. The geomorphology of Banihal-Ramban stretch of the highway is most erosion prone due to presence of weathered rock mass on slopes, loose rock blocks and rock slide debris deposits. Panthiyal area is also prone to landslides.
Earlier, landslides were confined to the areas where roads had been constructed by cutting hilly terrain without retaining structures for cut slopes and filled parts of the road. The soil overburden above experienced rain water seepage causes formation of the slip circle along which the saturated soil yielded. This triggers mud slides and consequent damages to habitation below. In other areas, disturbance of the top soil layer of otherwise stable natural hill slopes on account of the excavation for construction works causes landslides.
The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, comprising sedimentary and metamorphic rock sequences, was a mountain track on which people used to walk before 1947. Dogra rulers understood the vulnerability of mountains to landslides and only permitted carts driven by horses to ply on carefully levelled surfaces. However, after 1947, the road was extensively widened into a full-fledged motorable highway. Subsequently, the intensity of landslides increased along the highway. With weak Geomorphology, construction activities on the highway in absence of scientific studies is further increasing risk of landslides.
A study on landslide susceptibility assessment of Kashmir Himalaya by Prof Shakil Romshoo and Sumira Nazir states that landslides adversely affect socioeconomics of the region by causing huge loss of human life and infrastructure. It notes that high susceptibility of the study area to landslides is mainly due to the complex geographical, geomorphic, and geological setting; high precipitation; and increasing anthropogenic activities like heavy traffic, deforestation, road cutting, highway expansion, and other infrastructure development.
The study observes that though it may not be possible to altogether avoid the developmental activities in the high landslide susceptible zones, efforts should be made to analyze and mitigate the causes of landslides in the zones in order to reduce physical and socio-economic vulnerability of the people and infrastructure in vulnerable zones to landslide hazards. Experts recommend the roads under construction that pass through susceptible zones and other ongoing and in the pipeline infrastructure development projects in the fragile zones should be thoroughly evaluated for their potential to enhance the landslide susceptibility.
Last month, illegal quarrying activities at Khanpora area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district caused a sudden slide of debris and rocks while residents in nearby areas had a narrow escape. Haphazard quarrying and mining activities in Khrew and Khanmoh areas, which form the catchment zones of Dachigam National Park, are taking a heavy toll on wild animals.
In absence of regulation, there is wanton vandalisation of Karewas in Kashmir’s Budgam district. Karewas locally known as Wuder are a flat-topped tableland. These Karewas are glacio-fluvial in nature and consist of conglomerate, silt, clay, sands and lignite beds. However, continuous haphazard excavation of Karewas especially for infrastructure development projects related to Railways and Highways, has led to enhanced soil erosion and extensive siltation of water bodies in Kashmir. We forget that Karewas are not just raised mounds of earth but repositories of geological and archeological treasures. The climatic and tectonic record during the last 1.6 million years is well preserved in the sediments of Karewas of Kashmir valley. But we flattened these precious Karewas just for soil!.
Mountains form an important part of our ecosystem. Preserving mountains, forests and water bodies assume more significance at a time when J&K is passing through prolonged dry spell due to climate change. We are witnessing less snowfall intensity as compared to previous decades.
Government must ensure sustainable development to protect our natural assets. We must realise that if we disturb nature, damage is irreparable and we have to pay its heavy ecological cost!.
Author is Executive Editor, Greater Kashmir.
