Warning Signs In Uttarakhand As Century-Old Tota Ghati Develops Dangerous Cracks, Experts Monitoring Mountain Activity

Dehradun: The Tota Ghati (valley) in Uttarakhand, which was carved out nearly a century ago, has developed deep and dangerous cracks. Concerns have been raised by geologists and engineers as this mountain stretch on the National Highway-7, which connects Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines and almost half of Garhwal division to the plains, now faces threat of collapse "if the issue is not addressed in time".

Experts have warned that if situation worsens, there will be no alternative to the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway, which is considered the lifeline of Garhwal.

Tota Ghati has been a living example of Uttarakhand's history and the tough Himalayan terrain. But now, experts monitoring the area's geological activity are increasingly worried. If a solution or alternative is not found soon, the future could turn grim, they said.

Deep and dangerous cracks in the Tota Ghati (ETV Bharat)

This section lies between Rishikesh and Srinagar on NH-07, which is the main national highway connecting Devprayag, Srinagar, Chamoli, Rudraprayag and the entire Garhwal region to the plains. Around 75-80 KM from Rishikesh, the road cuts through steep rocky cliffs. That is where Tota Ghati is situated.

Today, Tota Ghati is as mysterious as it was when the road was first built. Building the road here was never easy, not in the past, and not now.

Tota Singh Rangad

The story of Tota Ghati, located on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway between Devprayag and Vyasi, just before Sakni Dhar, dates back to the 1930s. Historian Shishpal Gusain says that in 1931, there was a plan to build a road from Rishikesh to Kirti Nagar. But the limestone rocks of Tota Ghati were so tough that no contractor was willing to take up the job at the offered rate. Finally, Tota Singh Rangad, a contractor from Pratapnagar, took up the challenge and used only basic tools.

Built With Chisels And Hammers

Back then, it was an extremely difficult terrain. There were no modern drilling machines. Tota Singh's team of labourers and engineers worked with chisels and hammers. Several workers even lost their lives during the construction work, while most of them left the job midway. But Tota Singh did not give up. He spent all his savings, and even sold his wife's jewellery, and eventually, he was joined by 50 villagers who worked day and night to break the rock and build the road.

"That's how this road was built," says historian Shishpal Gusain.

Tota Ghati Named After Tota Singh

Highly impressed by Tota Singh's brave and successful efforts, the king of Tehri named the place Tota Ghati in his honour. He also awarded Tota Singh the title of "Lat Saheb". Later, King Narendra Shah of Tehri gifted him an entire estate in Narendra Nagar as a mark of appreciation.

Rising Concerns Over Tota Ghati

The Rishikesh-Srinagar road was completed in 1935. Around the same time, Tota Ghati was added to the government records. Almost ten decades later, road builders and researchers have expressed serious concerns over the condition of this stretch.

Deep and dangerous cracks in the Tota Ghati (ETV Bharat)

Cracks Seen In Tota Ghati 'Alarming'

Scientists have found huge cracks in the area. Owing to the All-Weather Road project and widening work, Tota Ghati has been disturbed again, and this has posed a major challenge for the construction agencies.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, senior geologist Mahendra Pratap Singh Bisht from HNB Garhwal University said that Tota Ghati has now emerged as a major concern for the state. He said it is important to learn from the past and plan carefully about how to deal with it going forward.

Tota Ghati Made Of Limestone Rock

Bisht explained that although Tota Ghati has a rich history, geographically it is made of limestone rock, which is fragile. Recently, several large cracks have been seen in the area, something that was never noticed earlier. These limestone fractures and "clints" have kept widening over time.

Warning Signs In Uttarakhand As Century-Old Tota Ghati Develops Dangerous Cracks, Experts Monitoring Mountain Activity (ETV Bharat)

"About 300 metres above the highway section of Tota Ghati, there are four major cracks on the mountain's top. These cracks, from a geological point of view, are extremely alarming. They are around 2.5-3 feet wide, and stretch long across the hill, and are so deep that it is hard to even estimate their depth," he cautioned.

"Precisely, these cracks could be hundreds of meters deep and go through the mountain into unknown depths," Bisht added.

If Cracks Widen, Mountain Could Collapse

The structure of these cracks is such that if they expand or break further, a large portion of the mountain could fall. This would completely block the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway for months. In case of a rockfall, the entire mountain might slide into the Ganga river, cutting off access to the whole Garhwal region.

"There is no alternative road nearby. I haev even shared my concerns with Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan and suggested that a safer alternate route must be considered," he added.

Departments Closely Monitoring Tota Ghati

Due to the emerging geological developments at Tota Ghati, even the National Highway division of the Public Works Department (PWD) has been put on high alert. Based on the analysis by geologists, PWD is now taking extra precautions in the area.

All-Weather Road Work Heightened The Risks

PWD's chief engineer for National Highways, Mukesh Parmar, said, "Initially, the road in Tota Ghati was around 9-10 meters wide. During the All-Weather Road project, it was widened to about 20 meters. This required digging into the hillside, which created large cross-sections. As a result, risks like overhanging rocks and landslides increased significantly."

Deep and dangerous cracks in the Tota Ghati (ETV Bharat)

Parmar said that Tota Ghati was always tricky. "Even during the widening work, the sharp ridge made construction extremely risky. Considering these challenges, the executing agency sought help from geologists. When the team inspected the area, they found that Tota Ghati was far more dangerous internally than it appeared from the outside," he said.

It is being said that there are such massive cracks within the mountain that even 3000 cubic meters of concrete may not be enough to fill those. Hence, special equipment has been installed to monitor internal mountain activity, to detect even the slightest movement.

Landslide Early Warning System Installed

Parmar said that due to the risk, no agency initially wanted to work here. "But now, displacement meters and a full landslide early warning system have been set up. These devices can detect even the smallest activity inside the mountain. As of now, no major movement has been observed," he shared.

As per the PWD records, in 2014-15, around 3909 vehicles passed through the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway near Tota Ghati daily, and this number is expected to almost double to 7019 vehicles per day in 2026-27.

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