Amid heavy rain forecast, residents shift out of unsafe buildings in Shimla

Colonies in five wards of Himachal Pradesh’s capital, namely Krishnanagar, Fagli, Nabha, Summerhill, and Annadale, vulnerable to landslides

After last week’s landslides and amid warning of another bout of heavy rain in the state, residents of five wards in Shimla have left their homes for safer places. Cracks have developed in residential areas in Krishnanagar, Fagli, Nabha, Summerhill, and Annadale, escalating safety concerns.

Rescue workers removing debris in Shimla on Monday as they search for survivors after torrential rain triggered a landslide in the state capital a week ago. (PTI Photo)

In Krishnanagar ward alone, more than 50 families have left their houses for temporary shelters. Nineteen families were displaced after six houses collapsed in the Vishnu Mandir area, posing a risk to adjoining houses.

The situation is no different in Ravidas Colony, where 10 houses were abandoned due to cracks surfacing in the structures. Eight families left the colony on Friday, followed by four more on Saturday. The affected residents have been putting up at relief camps, with many visiting their homes during the day to assess the damage.

In the Nabha ward, 25 people have found shelter in a nearby club as the threat of landslides looms. The local councillor, Simi Nanda, highlighted the risk posed by structures along the bypass road.

Local residents cite unstable trees and inadequate drainage as factors that make structures in the area vulnerable.

A delegation of the Nagarik Sabha met Bhuvan Sharma, the additional commissioner of the municipal corporation, seeking early redressal of their grievances.