REBUILDING SHIMLA

THE DELUGE IN JULY-AUGUST DEVASTATED THE HIMACHAL PRADESH CAPITAL. IT'S A CRISIS FOR CM SUKHVINDER SUKHU, BUT ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVERSE THE ILL EFFECTS UNBRIDLED CONSTRUCTION HAS WROUGHT ON THE HILL TOWN

- Anilesh S. Mahajan

For decades, the beginning of autumn meant travelling to the hills, Shimla and its neighbouring tourist spots being a favourite for many families in north India. The cool air, clear skies and the tree cover flush after the rains made every trip a picture-postcard experience. The recently commissioned KalkaShimla highway only added to the allure. But not this year. The ferocious rains, initially in the first week of July, then in mid-August and in the last week of the month led to one of the worst calamities in the hill state's history. The debris from the landslides scattered across the hillsides on the new highway and the big machinery parked there to clear it are ample evidence of the devastation unleashed. Across the state, there are over 1,500 spots where the roads have caved in; around 200 bridges have also been washed away. This is in addition to the human cost: over 300 deaths have been reported officially while 38 people are still listed as missing.

In capital Shimla, an uneasy calm persists. The city and its neighbouring areas saw more than 2,200 homes being severely damaged and another 10,000 houses left in need of major repairs. Some 300 shops have also been rendered unusable. The IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) data shows that the state received 33 per cent excess precipitation (816.4 mm against the normal of 613.8 mm) in the monsoon season, which lasted from June till August-end. Shimla got 253.3 mm of rainfall in August alone, 29 per cent more than the expected. The subsequent landslides led to the TV visuals of buildings collapsing in the city, leaving 22 dead.

THAT SINKING FEELING