Shimla : The monsoon has just begun and a section of the Ridge in down town Shimla has started to sink, if the civic authorities do not act fast it could threaten a century old town hall building and the Tibetan market below.
The Ridge landslide is less than 20 feet away from the landslide facing the ice skating rink.The town hall houses the offices of the Shimla municipal corporation.
Even though repair work has begun it remains to be seen how soon it is carried out and whether the water is drained out proporly so that further damage doesn’t take place to the Ridge.
The sinking is also causing threat to the Tibetan market below.A couple of years ago a landslide here had killed three people and washed away a few make shift shops run by Tibetan refugees.
The Shimla municipal corporation had soon after ordered the shifting out of these stalls to New Shimla and Vikasnagar in East Shimla.
But the Tibetans managed to get a court stay order and are continuing to remain here even as the sinking Ridge could trigger a landslide and cause serious to damage this make shift market.
In a 20 year career published widely. He has worked for the BBC, AFP, The Statesman, IANS and the Business Standard . Known for his hard hitting writing and occasional off-beat stories. He lives in Shimla.
why are we waiting for the National Disaster Management Committee to intervene !!!!!!!!
Government has made many mistakes including allowing Tibetan market to come up and flourish on The Mall- Rivoli road thus creating many problems. Let there be one more problem! (This is bound to die its own death and can be faced) Intervene and feel it is emergency to remove these squatters from some foreign land in order to improve our own town and save an impending disaster. What do they say? I do not exactly remember now. Is it “Lock the barn after horse has bolted” That is what it seems the authorities are waiting for.
Honestly, I am experiencing mixed emotions at the prospect of Townhall, as well as the Squatter Market, being threatened with landslide.