Shimla’s Retaining Wall: A Disaster Waiting to Happen, But Who’s Watching?

Shimla Feb 09 Ritanjali Hastir

While the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) swiftly decided to relocate the national flag from The Ridge, citing it as an ‘obstruction to the view’, a far more pressing issue remains conveniently overload — a crumbling retaining wall just a few meters away near the Christ Church slope.

Years ago, under the Smart City Project, authorities attempted a classic jugaad — propping up the wall with barrels as a temporary fix. Eventually, they cemented over it, not to strengthen the structure, but merely to hide the problem. Now, in another vulnerable section, tree roots are exposed, and the wall seems to be on the brink of collapse. One heavy downpour could trigger a landslide, putting pedestrians at serious risk, especially considering how easily roads have caved in across the City in recent years, like the Old Boileauganj Road and others.

Meanwhile, Ward Councillor Umang Banga was conveniently out of town and blissfully unaware. When informed, she assured she had spoken to the officials because nothing says urgency like last-minute damage control!

For now, Shimla’s retaining wall continues to play the waiting game — waiting to be fixed or waiting to collapse. Let’s see which happens first?