Varunavat mountain landslide: Massive debris continues to threaten habitation

Dehradun: A large amount of debris remains on Varunavat Mountain, posing an ongoing risk to residents living at its base, according to Vinod Kumar Suman, secretary of the disaster management department."Drone footage and field investigations reveal that significant debris is still present on the mountain slope where last Tuesday's landslide occurred. If it rains, this debris could descend toward inhabited areas. As a precaution, we have evacuated residents in potentially affected colonies," Suman told TOI.Over 200 residents at the foothills of Varunavat Parvat in Uttarkashi were evacuated on Tuesday night after boulders and debris began to fall. The landslide, which continued until Wednesday morning, revived memories of the 2003 landslides when over 3,000 people were evacuated, and around 100 buildings were damaged in the hill town.The Gufiyara area of Uttarkashi town is expected to be most impacted if further landslides occur.Suman added that a team led by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) has been tasked with exploring immediate measures to mitigate the situation. "The team will visit Varunavat Mountain soon, investigate the cause of the landslide, and suggest immediate measures to prevent future incidents," he said.After the landslide, Uttarkashi district magistrate (DM) Meharban Singh Bisht formed a technical committee, including officials from various departments, to survey the affected area. The committee submitted a preliminary report to Bisht on Wednesday.Notably, following the 2003 landslides, the Union govt announced a Rs 282-crore package for treating Varunavat. THDC implemented corrective measures, including slope stabilisation, crack sealing, and drainage system development, to increase the mountain's shear strength.