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Nainital News: For Nainital, these incidents are not only a damage to the road but also a sign of possible danger in the future. Nainital is becoming sensitive due to increasing human interference on the mountains surrounding the lake, pressure of heavy vehicles and continuous changes in the land structure. PWD has increased surveillance after cracks appeared on Upper Mall Road. The department says that as soon as the work of Lower Road is completed, solutions to the new and old cracks of Upper Mall Road will also be found.
Nainital. Between the tourist season of Christmas and Thirty-first, worrying signs of land subsidence have once again emerged from Nainital. After the major subsidence in Lower Mall Road recently, cracks have started appearing on the city’s prestigious Upper Mall Road as well. These incidents are a sign of possible future danger for Nainital. Nainital is becoming sensitive due to increasing human interference on the mountains surrounding the lake, pressure of heavy vehicles and continuous changes in the land structure. The Public Works Department (PWD) has increased surveillance after cracks appeared on Upper Mall Road. Ratnesh Saxena, Executive Engineer of the department, said that cracks have appeared again under the Grand Hotel at the same location where cracks had appeared earlier. He says that cracks are seen every year in this area and the cracks are being filled regularly by the department. But this time the situation is considered serious because incidents of land subsidence have been seen in Lower Mall Road only a few months ago.
Target to be completed by June
Recently, the sudden subsidence in Lower Mall Road had created a huge stir in the city. After this incident, the Public Works Department started the work of permanent treatment of 40 meter portion of Lower Mall Road on 22 September 2025. The total cost of this project is Rs 3 crore 48 lakh and the department aims to complete this work by June 2026. According to Executive Engineer Ratnesh Saxena, the treatment of Lower Mall Road is currently going on at a fast pace. During the repair of this road, the pressure of heavy machinery and construction material falls on the surrounding areas, due to which cracks have been seen in the Upper Mall Road located above. PWD says that as soon as the work of Lower Road is completed, permanent solution to the new and old cracks of Upper Mall Road will also be started.
Tension is high in view of tourist season
During the tourist season, the number of vehicles increases in Nainital, which directly puts pressure on the Mall Road. The land structure of Nainital is fundamentally fragile and any kind of additional pressure here can be dangerous. Heavy vehicles and increased construction over the years are weakening the mountains. Field teams and geotechnical experts of the department in the city are continuously monitoring the sensitive parts of Lower and Upper Mall Road. In view of the Christmas and New Year rush, the police and administration have planned to organize the traffic as a precautionary measure, so that the situation does not worsen due to additional pressure.
warning ahead
The recurring cracks in Mall Road and surrounding areas are an indication that Nainital now needs an immediate permanent solution. For which there is a need to put a stop to the construction going on in the hills of Nainital. There is also a need to organize the movement of vehicles. The economy of Nainital is based on tourism, hence the future of the city is also under direct threat due to the continuously increasing cases of land subsidence. Geologists have warned in the past that if steps are not taken in time, Nainital may face great danger in the future.
