Rockfall risk assessment for pilgrims along the circumambulatory pathway, Saptashrungi Gad Temple, Vani, Nashik Maharashtra, India

Abstract

This paper mainly describes the assessment of rockfall risk for the large number of pilgrims along the parikrama path (circumbultory or pathway around the shrine) at the Saptashrungi Gad Temple, Vani, Nashik, Maharashtra, India. The temple is constructed on moderately weathered and fractured basaltic terrain along the steep high hill slope. The loose rockmass from the top of the hill occasionally fall, bounce, roll and slide down along the slope of the temple with some rockmass blocks landing on or passing the parikrama path. This leads to risk while taking parikrama along the hill. A quantitative risk assessment (QRA) was undertaken to determine the risk for the pilgrims performing parikrama along the parikrama paths struck by rockfalls and the risk reduction capabilities of various remedial work. The obtained QRA results indicate that, the societal risk cannot be acceptable.