Sinking Ridge: Shimla PWD sends fresh soil samples to IIT, Roorkee

A part of the Ridge near the Gaiety Theatre has been sinking for a while now, with a threat looming over the historic site.

In order to protect the Ridge from sinking, the public works department (PWD) of Shimla has once again sent the samples of the soil of the space to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, for inspection.

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In October 2019, PWD had written to IIT, Roorkee, to once again inspect the area and had sent soil samples to the institute, however, no report was received. This time, the PWD has increased the amount of soil samples. Last time, 20 kilogram soil samples were sent to the engineering institute but this time, the PWD has sent at least 200 kilogram soil as demanded by the experts.

PWD executive engineer AK Soni said, “As the experts of IIT, Roorkee, had demanded fresh samples, we have sent soil samples of the sinking part of the Ridge to them. A report of the same is expected to arrive within one week.”

Affected site above tibetan market

A part of the Ridge near the Gaiety Theatre has been sinking for a while now, with a threat looming over the historic site. The affected area is just above the famous Tibetan market which had also collapsed in 2010, causing huge losses to the shop owners. Every year during monsoon season, cracks on the Ridge deepen. There is an underground water tank at the site which supplies water to 70% of the capital city.

In 2019, chief minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur had chaired a meeting with experts of the IIT, Roorkee, regarding the restoration and stabilisation of the sinking part of the Ridge that was constructed in 1880s. The CM had said that restoration of the Ridge would not only help in its beautification but also provide appropriate place to erect the statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Repeated surfacing of the Ridge ground with coal tar has increased the load on it, sinking the structure. Around a decade back, cracks were observed in the Gaiety Theatre following which it was renovated at a cost of Rs 14 crore. Later, the municipal corporation (MC) of Shimla sought help from the IIT, Roorkee, to prevent further damage to the historical structure.

‘Structure on loose soil’

Geologist Pankaj Guleria said, “When the Ridge was being constructed by the Britishers, the debris was dumped on its northern slope. The structure is established on loose soil, with hard rock about five metres below it. In our report, we have mentioned that the foundation should be laid from the hard rock to stabilise the site.”

Earlier proposals

Shimla MC former mayor Sanjay Chauhan said, “In 2015, SMC had conducted a detailed survey through which we found that muck was dumped in a four to nine metre area when Shimla was being developed during the British period.” “To restore the Ridge, we had developed a Rs 30 crore self-finance plan through which we were going to shift the Tibetan market to the lift area and develop a park at the marketplace but then state government did not approve the proposal. Now, the only solution to protect The Ridge from sinking is to remove the muck. Constructing a retaining wall will not be a good choice and it will only prove to be a waste of money,” he said.

The Ridge is one of the prominent places in the town. It connects Lakkar Bazar with Scandal Point on the Mall Road.