Roads are the most critical means of connectivity in Himalayan villages.However,the terrain is inherently fragile with varied geological,geomorphological,ecological,and climate regimes,that result in frequent slope failure and disruption in connectivity.The risk is further to be increased by extreme events-generated hazards,which are expected to rise in frequency and magnitude with ongoing climate change.Critical scientific intervention,however,can improve the sustainability of road networks.The present study attempts to analyse and quantify the impacts of a major road widening project initiated in 2018 in the upper Ganga catchment,Uttarakhand Himalaya which has destabilised valley slopes along the widened segments.Also,a large quantity of excavated sediments is dumped down slopes,which is posing a threat to aquatic biodiversity.The estimates are based on Google Earth imagery of a few representative road segments recently widened in the upper Ganga catchment,which indicate a substantial increase in the landslide and unstable slope area following the road widening.The increase in unstable slope area is attributed to improper road widening approaches and poor slope management in seismically active Himalayan terrain.Further,the mean velocity plots of Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(PSInSAR)indicate that the segments undergoing road widening are coherent with areas of significant earth surface change.A broad correlation between the road width and sediment yield indicates that even a slight increase in road width can result in a large-scale mass removal from the toe of the hillslope,inflicting cascading impact on hillslopes.The study recommends a more flexible road construction approach based on the environmental and geological aspects of the terrain for sustainable road networks.Further,the impact of climate change is looming over the Himalayas,and the relation between climate change and its potential effects on the stability of slopes remains an open issue.

S.P.SATI;Shubhra SHARMA;Girish Ch.KOTHYARI;Maria ASIM;Y.P.SUNDRIYAL;Kapil MALIK;Ayush JOSHI;Harsh DOBHAL;Naresh RANA;Navin JUYAL

Department of Basic and Social Science(CoF),VCSGU University of Horticulture&Forestry Bharsar,Pauri Garhwal 246123,India;Geosciences Division,Physical Research Laboratory,Ahmedabad 380005,India;Department of Geography,Institute of Science,Banaras Hindu University,Varanasi 221005,India;Department of Petroleum Engineering&Earth Sciences,University of Petroleum and Energy Studies,Dehradun 248007,India;Department of Geology,HNB Gharwal University,Srinagar 246174,India;Institute of Seismological Research,Gandhinagar 382009,India;School of Media and Communication Studies,Doon University,Dehradun 248001,India;Department of Geology,University of Delhi,Delhi-110007,India;Kabir Enclave,Bopal,Ahmedabad 380058,India

山地科学学报（英文版）

[1]S.P.SATI;Shubhra SHARMA;Girish Ch.KOTHYARI;Maria ASIM;Y.P.SUNDRIYAL;Kapil MALIK;Ayush JOSHI;Harsh DOBHAL;Naresh RANA;Navin JUYAL-.Mountain highway stability threading on the fragile terrain of upper Ganga catchment(Uttarakhand Himalaya),India)[J].山地科学学报（英文版）,2022(12):3407-3425

Uttarakhand,destabilised,hillslope,inflicting

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