The Lower Mall Road in Uttarakhand's Nainital has been shut for vehicular traffic due to ongoing remedial construction due to land subsidence, as per the order issued by the district administration on September 15, 2025. According to reports, 50 to 60-foot-long cracks suddenly appeared on the stretch near HDFC Bank, and part of the road sank by about one foot. The incident caused panic among locals, and traffic was immediately halted.
Looking into this, the distraction administration issued restrictions. "Due to ongoing remedial construction at a land subsidence site, traffic on Nainital’s Lower Mall Road has been restricted from September 15, 2025, until further notice," the order reads.
"Executive Engineer, Provincial Section, Nainital has informed that long term remedial construction work will be started in the landslide part of Lower Mall Road (near Grand Hotel), Nainital from 15.09.2025 and in view of this, traffic operation on the road is not safe," the order reads further.
"Therefore, in front of Tallital Church, entry and exit of vehicles from Lower Mall Road to Lower Mall Road, Mallital is prohibited with immediate effect for security reasons. During the said period, orders are passed to maintain smooth one-way traffic from 06:00 pm to 08:00 pm on Upper Mall Road, in violation of the earlier order regarding vehicle ban," added.
As a precautionary measure, the administration has completely closed Lower Mall Road to traffic, diverting vehicles via Upper Mall Road. A Public Works Department (PWD) team reached the spot to assess the road’s stability. Executive Engineer Ratnesh Saxena said that repairs on Lower Mall Road were scheduled to begin on September 22, but cracks appeared earlier than expected. Work has now started on an urgent basis.
Built by the British in 1846, Mall Road is the lifeline of Nainital’s tourism and economy, connecting Mallital and Tallital and attracting thousands of visitors daily. Frequent subsidence has severely affected both local businesses and tourism.
District Magistrate Vandana Singh stated that a report on landslides in the entire area, including Mall Road, Haldwani, and Bhawali Road, has been sent to the Centre. A central team has already inspected the region, and a budget request has been placed. Local residents, however, are demanding a permanent solution and expressing frustration with repeated temporary repairs. Experts warn that without concrete measures, the area could face a major disaster in the future.