‘Landslide’ a disaster
Recently, the death toll in landslides in Manipur has risen to 29. Rescue work is hampered due to rain.
Landslide is defined as the sliding down of a large mass of rock, debris or soil down a slope.
About 12.6 percent of the Indian landmass is prone to landslides.
Landslide Prone Specific Areas:
- Himalayas: Due to high seismic activity due to plate tectonic motion etc., and
- Western Ghats: Due to more rainfall at one place, more pressure on hills etc.
Major causes of landslides:
- Geological: Weak or fractured terrain or rock,
- Terrain: Slopes where vegetation has been destroyed by fire or drought are more vulnerable to landslides,
- Human activities: Deforestation, mining etc.
Steps taken by the government to control landslides
- Landslide Early-Warning System (LEWS): Under the Landslip Project, warnings are given using Geographic Information System (GIS).
- Landslide susceptibility maps have been prepared by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in different parts of the country.
- The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has prepared guidelines for Landslide Hazard Zone.
Measures to control landslides–
- It is necessary to increase the forest cover in community land.
- Additional water should be stored in the catchment areas to reduce the impact of flash floods and recharge the ground water table. Grazing of vegetation by animals should be limited.
- Urbanization related activities (such as construction of dams or other commercial projects) need to be reduced.
Impact of landslide
- It restricts the movement of people. Also, traffic gets disrupted on highways and railway lines.
- There is loss of human life and infrastructure.
- The reconstruction of infrastructure for the rehabilitation of the people causes financial burden.
- Increases the risk of flooding.
Source – The Hindu
