By: Dr. Masoon A. Beig

The National Highway-44 (NH-44), the main route that links Jammu and Srinagar, the hilly Banihal- Ramban Sector has become a hotspot for environmental concerns. As most part of this stretch reverberates with periodic rockfalls, landslides, slope collapses, and mud flows. These frequent occurrences are signs of a more serious ecological problem rather than being random occurrences. The phrase “the mountains are taking revenge” is frequently used by locals to convey their grief; it is a potent metaphor for how nature is reacting to unbridled human demands. Despite being deeply rooted in local opinion, this occurrence represents a genuine and serious alteration in the landscape brought about by unscientific development practices, geological fragility, and climate change.

Climate change is one of the main natural elements causing this catastrophe. Unpredictable rainfall patterns, frequent cloudbursts, and a discernible increase in ambient temperatures are among the more unpredictable weather patterns the region is seeing. In addition to directly affecting the frequency and severity of landslides, these changes have upset the conventional weather cycle. For instance, severe rainstorms flood the broken rocks and loose, weathered soil, making slope collapses more likely. In recent years, cloudbursts—sudden, intense rainstorms—have become more frequent. Particularly destructive was the cloudburst that occurred in 2022 close to Seri village, which demonstrated how quickly such severe weather conditions may wash away whole sections of the roadway. The stability of the rocks and soil has also been further diminished by warming temperatures, which have also changed the freeze-thaw cycle and undermined the permafrost at higher elevations.

Ramban’s innate geological fragility adds to these natural difficulties. The area belongs to a young fold mountain system, which is distinguished by unstable, fractured, and strongly jointed rock formations. The risk of landslides is naturally increased by the high angles of many of the slopes along NH-44, which often exceed 45 degrees. The sandstones, clayey soils, and........

© Kashmir Images