It was a horrific sight to see a large stretch of mountain crumbling like a pack of cards on Baramulla-Uri highway recently. Bewildered commuters had a narrow escape as tons of stones and soil came crumbling down from the mountain to block the road.

This was not a natural disaster but man-made! Amid road expansion near Eco-Park, there have been frequent landslides in the area. In view of frequent landslides, the Government is mulling to make the Jhelum Valley Road an alternative to the Baramulla–Uri Highway which passes through Old Baramulla Town.

Experts blame unscientific cutting, drilling and blasting of mountains for recurring landslides. In such eco-sensitive projects, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be made mandatory.
Landslides have become a frequent feature mostly in areas where road explanation and tunnel construction works are going in Jammu and Kashmir. We need to understand the mechanism of landslides which are triggered due to complex geographical, geomorphic, and geological settings besides high precipitation and increasing anthropogenic activities like heavy traffic, deforestation and road cutting.

270-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway has become highly prone to landslides due to ongoing road expansion works. The highway is considered to be Kashmir’s lifeline as it is the main surface link to the valley. Frequent closure of the highway has been taking a toll on people as it causes disruption in supply of essential........

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