Shimla, Jul 13 (IANS): This erstwhile summer capital of India is in danger of losing its British legacy bit by bit. A small portion of the Ridge, the most famous promenade in Shimla, caved in earlier this week.

Shimla Municipal Corporation commissioner A.N. Sharma told IANS Wednesday that the northeastern side of the Ridge that started developing cracks earlier this month has collapsed this week. He said work is on to repair the cracks and to fill the caved in portion.

"With damage to such a small portion, we can't say that the entire Ridge and the buildings located on it are under threat," he added.

Besides the Town Hall building, now housing the municipality, the Ridge has the Gaiety Theatre -- another British landmark.

In the last four years, the Ridge has developed cracks for the third time.

Major cracks had appeared on the street in 2008 when about 20 shops of the Tibetan market, located beneath, collapsed in heavy rains. Two shopkeepers were killed.

Sharma said the Ridge has been slowly sinking for many years, but the latest sinking took place because of leakage in underground water pipes.

He said the municipality has prepared a Rs.3.5 crore project to stabilise the entire sinking zone, for which funds would be sought from the central government.

The problem of sinking is mainly due to the haphazard constructions below the Ridge.

The concrete structures have blocked the natural flow of rainwater, resulting in accumulation of mud, another official said. "Now the entire strata have become so fragile that during every monsoon it starts sinking at one point or another."

Even experts from the Geological Survey of India have advised the state government that a lightweight concrete structure should be erected to stabilise the sinking portion above the Tibetan market.

The Ridge was established by the British and served as the main bazaar with shops all around. Later, the British decided to clear the Ridge for public events and the shops were pulled down.