Shimla Landslide Scare: Rain-triggered hillside collapse in Sanjauli threatens homes, residents spend night outside | Today’s news
Continuous heavy rainfall over the past 36 hours triggered a major landslide in Shimla’s Sanjauli area on Friday, leaving several houses at risk and forcing residents to stay out overnight amid fears of building collapse, according to ANI.
The a landslide has affected nearly 10 homes in the Bothwell Estate area, with at least three homes facing imminent danger. Residents said they have been standing in front of their homes since around 3am after part of the slope gave way following incessant rain.
According to ANI, the local authorities have started a preliminary survey of the affected area, while The municipal authority assured residents that protective measures would be taken, including covering the vulnerable slope with tarpaulins to prevent further damage.
Residents alleged that construction activity in the area continued despite the monsoon ban on construction imposed by the authorities and demanded action against the site owner. However, the land owner denied that he had carried out any construction in the past month, attributing the landslide to blocked drains and waterlogging.
Residents blame the construction, seek urgent measures
Speaking to ANI, resident Meera Kainthala said families have been living in constant fear ever since a similar landslide hit the same area last year. She claimed that the construction work continued for almost one-and-a-half years despite repeated complaints from the city corporation and restrictions during the monsoon season.
Kainthala said the latest landslide occurred between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., forcing residents to stay outside their homes. She also claimed that a worker was injured at the construction site about a week ago and claimed that there was no proper access route left for residents.
Eyewitness Aditya, who was awake and working from home when the incident took place, told ANI that cracks appeared on the slope in the last few days before a large portion finally collapsed.
Another resident, Rahul, whose house is behind his bakery, said his family had been standing on the road since early morning as their home was no longer safe. He claimed that the foundation of the building had weakened significantly and called for the immediate construction of a retaining wall along with a temporary tarpaulin.
Authorities are investigating as the owner denies the allegations
Dr. Paras Prakash, another resident, told ANI that the situation remains extremely dangerous and warned that the building could collapse if immediate protective measures are not taken. He said residents have informed emergency services, the municipal office and other authorities, but are still waiting for meaningful action.
According to ANI, Sanjauli ward councilor Mamta Chandel said the administration has been informed and an inquiry will be conducted. She said action would be taken if construction was found to have continued despite the ban. Chandel added that the mayor, junior engineer and other municipal corporation officials were inspecting the site and around six houses remained under direct threat.
Meanwhile, the owner of the construction site, Naresh Zinta, denied allegations that work had continued for the past few weeks. Speaking to ANI, he said that no construction had taken place in the last one month and blamed the blocked drainage channels for the waterlogging and subsequent landslide. While acknowledging that excavations had been carried out earlier as part of the project, he claimed that poor drainage was the main reason for the slope failure and called for a fair investigation.
Authorities continue to monitor slope stability as heavy rainfall continues in Shimla, with residents urging immediate steps to stabilize the slope and prevent further damage to homes and public infrastructure.
