Uttarakhand: IIT Roorkee experts to help save sinking Ridge

SHIMLA: The Shimla district administration is seeking the help of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee to save the sinking portion of Ridge, sources said. The exercise, costing Rs 45 lakh, will be spent under Shimla Smart City Mission, and the executing agency will be the public works department (PWD), according to a report to be prepared by the experts from IIT Roorkee.
Although the historic Ridge, the second largest sprawling level piece of flat land after Annandale ground located in the centre of tourist town, has been sinking for several decades, the authorities concerned over the years failed to come up with a concrete plan to save it.
The sources said to have a permanent solution to the “sinking problem”, the Shimla district administration has sought help from the experts of IIT Roorkee. They have already studied the sinking zone but did not submit the report due to pending dues of Rs 11 lakh to them. Now that the administration has cleared the payment of Rs 11 lakh, the report is expected soon.
The sources said a survey conducted by geological experts in the past had shown that hard rock at Ridge is covered with accumulated debris of 5 to 7 metre. Once the debris is removed, the hard strata would come out.
A senior official of Shimla Smart City Project said the report from IIT Roorkee is expected in next 2-3 days, immediately after which the PWD would be handed over the work to repair the sinking zone of Ridge. As per plan, around 210-feet-long retaining wall will be constructed at the sinking zone.
The Ridge is not only a portion of land in Shimla, it also contains its lifeline in terms of water reservoir beneath it with a capacity of 10 lakh gallons of water. During the British Raj, around 150 people were allowed to be on the Ridge to destress the reservoir of weight. A major portion of the flat land consists of debris and has resulted into the sinking zone.