Himachal CM Unveils Blueprint for Safety: Stricter Rules and Tunnelling to Shield Against Calamities

Himachal Pradesh, August 17, 2023: In the wake of the devastating landslides and flash floods that have claimed 70 lives and damaged over 1,000 homes in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has pinpointed faulty structural design, reckless construction practices, and inadequate drainage systems as key contributors to the catastrophe.

Sukhu has pledged a proactive response, hinting at stricter building regulations and advocating for increased tunneling in place of road widening to safeguard the state against future calamities.

Addressing the gravity of the situation, Sukhu expressed, “It will take us one year to recover from the loss. Within four years, Himachal will become self-independent. And within the next 10 years, it will become the number one state in the country.”

Sukhu’s criticism centered on the indiscriminate construction practices and lack of proper drainage mechanisms that left houses and roads vulnerable to disaster. He underlined the perilous impact of unchecked development, noting, “People construct houses without applying scientific methods. In recently made buildings, the drainage system is very poor… the houses which are collapsing these days have not gone through the standards of structural engineering.”

He further attributed the damages to poorly designed road expansion and called for a shift towards tunnels as a viable solution. “Tunnels are the only viable and feasible way to tackle the vehicle pressure on this stretch… NHAI should not bother about the costs,” Sukhu asserted.

Additionally, Sukhu emphasized the need for a change in central government norms for disaster relief. He remarked, “The Centre gives Rs 1.5 lakh for repairing one kilometre of damaged road, that’s nothing.” He urged for a more significant assistance package for hill states and those in the Northeast, stating, “Himachal Pradesh gets ignored because it has small representation in Parliament, but the state should be given a special package by the Centre as it is the ‘lungs of northern India’.”

As Himachal Pradesh grapples with the aftermath of the calamity, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s push for stringent building codes and resilient infrastructure strategies aims to usher in a safer and more resilient future for the state and its inhabitants.