Sudher bypass landslide fix targeted by December 31

The Public Works Department (PWD) has set December 31 as the target for concrete progress towards resolving the recurring landslide problem near Sudher on the Pathankot-Dharamshala bypass, where repeated slope failures have disrupted vehicular movement.

Executive Engineer, PWD, Dharamshala, Chandrashekhar said the department had submitted a detailed project report (DPR) worth Rs 5.27 crore to the government for approval. Fresh investigations are also underway to establish the cause of the landslides and identify a lasting solution.

The problem first emerged during the 2024 monsoon. A breast wall constructed by the department to provide temporary relief was damaged after another portion of the hillside slipped. The affected stretch covers around 300 metres in length and 50 metres in width, extending from behind the HRTC workshop down the slope.

Chandrashekhar said the DPR was prepared in January and February 2026 after technical assessments, including a soil-bearing test. However, the government approval is still awaited. During this year’s monsoon, continuous debris fall made excavation and construction unsafe.

To keep traffic moving, the department deployed a JCB machine to clear debris periodically over the past two months. The breast wall could not be completed before the monsoon, and renewed slope movement subsequently damaged it.

With the monsoon over, the department has begun a fresh assessment of the affected area. A drone survey was conducted, and vegetation on the hillside was cleared to facilitate closer examination. A seismic reflection test has also been carried out, with its report awaited. The test is expected to help establish the depth of hard rock beneath the ground.

Based on the findings, the department will determine the measures required to stabilise the hillside. Options under consideration include reinforced soil walls, hill anchoring and slope stabilisation. Chandrashekhar said consultations with civil engineering experts from IIT Mandi and NIT Hamirpur were also being considered to assess the proposed measures and revise the existing plan, if required.

He said a central team that visited the site last week had also raised the possibility of underground water flow contributing to the slope instability. The ongoing investigations are expected to help establish the cause.

The department has spent an estimated Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh so far on machinery deployment, debris clearance and breast wall construction. It has set December 31 as the target for concrete progress towards a lasting solution, aiming to ease difficulties for local residents and commuters.