Rock bolt tech speeds active landslide treatment in Uttarakhand hill zones

The rock bolt technology is successfully treating active landslide zones in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, an official of the Border Roads Organisation said here on Saturday.

Landslides occur almost regularly in the hill areas of the state, especially during the monsoon season, blocking roads and causing inconvenience to Chardham pilgrims, and often claiming lives, he said.

Active landslide zones on Gangotri and Yamunotri highways have been a major issue for the Chardham pilgrims as well as the local people for years, the official said.

The Australian rock bolt technology is being used at present in the treatment of active landslide zones in Raturisera and Bandarkot on Gangotri highway in Uttarkashi district, BRO Commander Vivek Srivastava said.

The technology was used earlier too in the treatment of Nalupani and Chungi Badethi landslide zones which had long been active along the highway and the good results at the two points encouraged authorities to apply it elsewhere too, he said.

The technology is 90 per cent effective in preventing landslides, the BRO official said.

In the widening work done under the Chardham road project, landslide zones active for years have been treated successfully with this technology. The same technique is now being used in Raturisera and Bandarkot, he said.

The official said that Rs 19.8 crore is being spent on this work in Raturisera and Rs 9.3 crore in Bandarkot.

The target is to complete landslide treatment work at both places using the technology by March next year, he said.

This is an Australian technique that involves removing loose landslide debris by soil nailing in soil and rock bolting in bedrock, he said.