Slope Stability Studies in Garhwal Himalaya

In hilly terrains, roads constitute a major communication link with inaccessible areas. Unplanned excavations for construction of roads lead to the creation of unstable cut slopes which, along with various other adverse geological conditions, cause their failure creating damages to life and property. Uttarakhand is comparatively a new state in the fragile Himalayan terrain of India. Since its formation in 2000, there is a rapid surge of road construction in this hill state. The economy of this state is mainly tourism based and so more emphasis should be given on road networks. Therefore, a sound geological and geotechnical evaluation of hill slopes in the state is essential prior to construction of roads. Besides, it is also necessary to carry out a fast appraisal of the existing roads especially in the vulnerable sections. This exercise would be of immense importance towards identification of hill slopes prone to slope failures and landslides. The present work embodies the findings of slope stability studies along Karnaprayag - Gwaldam road stretch was carried out during present investigation.