SHIMLA: To reduce the risk of landslides in Shimla and nearby areas, the National Green Tribunal NGT ) has directed the departments concerned to ensure no construction activity takes place on slopes that are over 45 degrees steep. The tribunal said that the slope in soft rocky areas with over burden soil should be reduced to 35 degrees, while retaining 45 degrees for areas with hard subsurface stratum."It is evident that Shimla and its surrounding areas are facing a high risk of landslides. Definite, effective and drastic measures are required to be undertaken by the state government, stakeholders and even the public at large to protect the environment, ecology, public health and property," the tribunal said in its November-16 judgment.As of now, construction on a 45-degree slope is uniformly applicable in all zones and areas, irrespective of soil and geology. "This can create vulnerability during seismic events, soil saturation and soil liquefaction," it said.The NGT apprised that although the Shimla Municipal Corporation has belatedly prohibited any construction on slopes steeper than 45 degrees, large constructions have already come up on such slopes.It was stated that 90% of central Shimla is built on a 60-degree slope, and is covered with buildings that are four to five storeys high. "In the event of an earthquake or a tremor, devastation could be enormous," it said.The tribunal also said that within the existing zoning policy, additional layers of slope, geology, soil type and load bearing capacity of soil should be superimposed on different zones to regulate any construction or development works. "The height of buildings should be regulated by safe bearing load capacity of the underlying rock formations rather than following 18 metres of height requirement," it added.It said that the interim development plan permits 18 metres of height requirement, which again has no rational and is not backed by any study. Thus, the same will not be implemented till compliance with the other directions.Although the building regulations in Shimla permit construction on a 45-degree slope but as per the Geological Survey of India, suitable slope for urban development should be less than 30 degree."The slope regulations have been violated. Risk analysis based on slope is prerequisite for planning in hilly areas like Shimla, which has not been adhered to. High-rise buildings are being permitted," it said.It also said that the buildings in these areas are constructed without any excessive ground coverage and checks and balances required for disaster risk management.The tribunal on May 24 appointed an expert committee and pointed out that from a disaster risk management perspective, Shimla has far exceeded its carrying capacity. It said that uncontrolled and unsafe construction over decades has created an extremely vulnerable construction environment in Shimla."A major earthquake will lead to unprecedented loss of lives, cripple the administration and disrupt all sectors of the economy, particularly tourism," it added.The panel said that any further increase in the density of the built environment would exponentially increase the risk of damages. "In fact, there is a need to reduce the density of Shimla by taking some bold steps, including some conservative surgery of the current built environment by removing or retrofitting some of the most vulnerable buildings," the committee said.In vulnerability stateAs per a report of the Government of India on Spatial Distribution and Concentration of Landslides released in 2003, nearly 97.42% of the total geographical area of Himachal Pradesh is prone to landslides. Shimla, among the other districts in the state, falls in the severe landslide hazard risk category. Development involving reckless and excessive constructions and indiscriminate felling of trees is the root cause of a spurt in landslides, taking heavy toll on human lives and destroying property. Undisputedly, these are ecologically fragile areas as these are part of the youngest mountain ranges and also fall in seismic zone IV and V. The slope landslides are mostly man-made.

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