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The landslide blocked the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway and halted traffic for about 24 h till the debris was removed and the road reopened. The Hathi Pahar hill in Vishnuprayag has been a landslide-prone zone because of the presence of loose boulders and large rock blocks on very steep slopes. The site was visited immediately after the landslide and a rapid field assessment of slope stability was carried out. The stability analysis was performed with limited geological and geotechnical data collected from field and laboratory. Based on the two-dimensional finite element analysis, it was inferred that the slope is marginally stable under static load, but fails under seismic loading. The slope could fail in future due to triggering factors such as heavy rainfall, earthquake and anthropogenic activities. This communication presents field observations and the subsequent stability analysis along with possible suggestive control measures.

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In the present study, slope stability analysis has been carried out for Pakhi landslide, atPipalkoti, Uttarakhand Himalaya, India. The site is situated alongside Chamoli-Badrinath National Highway (NH-58) in the Higher Himalayas. This route has immense importance due to its functional service for both the pilgrimage, and international border security. Because of its activeness during the monsoon season, Pakhi landslide poses recurring problems to the traffic. Slope stability analyses are performed by limit equilibrium and finite element method utilizing the engineering and physical parameters determined in laboratory tests. The slope is found to be just marginally stable, which calls for planning and design of suitable control measures to minimize the landslide activities. In view of this, further stability analyses are performed using limit equilibrium and finite element tools with single or composite scheme of control measures involving the application of soil nails and/or pile reinforcement at critical locations along the slope. The present paper also describes the design methodology and the significance of pile reinforcements as a novel technique for slope stabilization.