Leh, Aug 7: In the wake of recent landslides and rockfalls that damaged property and disrupted traffic in Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess preparedness and strengthen mitigation measures aimed at reducing the impact of such natural hazards.
The meeting, attended by senior officials of the Indian Army, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the UT Administration, focused on improving disaster preparedness, safeguarding critical infrastructure and ensuring uninterrupted road connectivity across the Union Territory.
The Lieutenant Governor praised the Army and BRO for their prompt relief operations during recent flash floods and landslides, as well as their swift road-clearance efforts. However, he stressed the need for proactive measures to prevent recurring incidents at vulnerable locations.
Saxena directed the concerned agencies to conduct detailed safety audits of landslide-prone stretches, particularly at 15 identified high-risk locations along the Leh-Kargil National Highway and four to five vulnerable points on the Khardung La stretch of the Leh-Nubra road. He instructed officials to assess unstable slopes and remove loose rocks that could endanger commuters.
Emphasising a long-term strategy, the LG said Ladakh must move beyond reactive responses and adopt proactive, technology-driven solutions for disaster mitigation.
“The recent flash floods, landslides and rockfalls have once again highlighted the need to strengthen preparedness and shift from reactive response to preventive action. Vulnerable locations must be identified, detailed safety audits conducted and the best available technologies used for slope stabilisation and rockfall protection. Our priority is to protect lives, secure critical infrastructure and maintain uninterrupted connectivity across Ladakh,” Saxena said.
During the meeting, BRO Chief Engineers gave a detailed presentation on the causes of slope failures, citing changing rainfall patterns in Ladakh, fragile geological conditions, altered slope gradients, vibrations, weathering, developmental activities and increased water pressure within slopes.
Officials also outlined a range of engineering solutions, including retaining and breast walls, flexible ring nets, soil nailing, rock bolting, anchored retaining structures, rockfall embankments, rock sheds, high-energy absorption barriers and smart rockfall detection systems. The use of geosynthetic materials such as geogrids, geotextiles, geomembranes and geocells for slope stabilisation was also discussed.
Chief Engineer of Project Vijayak assured the Lieutenant Governor that safety audits and preventive measures on the Leh-Kargil and Leh-Nubra highways would be taken up on priority. Saxena also directed the Public Works Department to carry out similar safety assessments and risk mitigation measures on roads under its jurisdiction.
The meeting was attended by GOC 14 Corps Lt Gen Madanraj Pande, Chief Engineer HQ 14 Corps Brig Aditya Harshey, Chief Engineer Project Vijayak Brig Rahul Oberoy, Chief Engineer Project Himank Brig Rajiv Ahlawat and Secretary, Public Works Department, among other senior officials.
