There is a pattern of natural disasters in the Himalayas, which leaves the local population caught in a cycle of construction and destruction
The Shimla disaster was waiting to happen and worse can come to pass unless the government wakes up and enforces strict rules for construction activities besides conducting a structural audit of all existing buildings.
Shimla’s devastation is due to unplanned construction, disregarding alerts about its susceptibility to landslides, seismic vulnerability, overpopulation exceeding its capacity, and ecological instability
