Slope stability assessment and monitoring of a vulnerable site on Rishikesh-Uttarkashi highway, India

Abstract

Landslides are frequently occurring phenomenon in the Himalayas, in the Northern part of India. There were many landslide disasters in the recent past which have taken lives and caused extensive damage to property and public utility services. It is an imperative task to assess the slope instability and evaluate the risk where lives and property are at danger. A vulnerable slope on Rishikesh-Uttarkashi road having few houses, which are under distress, was studied for slope stability assessment. The slope instability was evident by road subsidence and development of cracks in few houses. A comprehensive geological and geotechnical investigation was carried out along with slope movement monitoring. The paper describes the findings of the study. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.