Considerable subsidence that had begun on a 70-meter section of the Badrinath highway between Pursari and Maithana intensified last week. Parts of the road, according to locals, have sunk by as much as 3 feet in the last 24 hours. The affected stretch is around 50 km away from Joshimath, which is also facing substantial subsidence.
Even when workers from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) began to repair the damaged section of the road, traffic continued to flow on the right side of the road (the hillside).
Shailendra Kumar, DGM, NHIDCL, said, “This spot on the highway has a history of subsidence. As part of the treatment work, a retaining wall was made beneath the road on the valley side five years ago. That wall seems to have weakened due to a rise in the water level of Alaknanda River this rainy season, causing the present sinking of the highway.” He added that traffic is being allowed to move through ‘a stable part of the highway’ but if the situation worsens, NHIDCL will write to the administration to close the highway for traffic movement. “Temporary repair work is being carried out to make the road safe for vehicles. This spot needs proper treatment that will be done subsequently,” he said.
Traffic inspector of Chamoli, Praveen Alok, added, “We will review the situation and if found dangerous, traffic would be diverted through an alternate route — Chamoli-Nandprayag Bypass road.”