Disasters and Disaster Management – Sendai Framework, Floods, Cyclones, etc.

Landslides in Wayanad

Explained | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Disaster Management
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Landslides, Landslide Atlas of India

Why in the News?

Many people have died, and hundreds are feared trapped after three landslides hit Kerala’s Wayanad district.

About Wayanad

  • Wayanad is the only plateau in Kerala, forming a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, part of the Deccan Plateau.
  • The Kabini River, a tributary of the Kaveri River, originates in Wayanad.
  • The Chaliyar River, the fourth longest river in Kerala, also originates on the Wayanad plateau.
  • Wayanad is home to the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

Susceptibility to Landslides:

  • The region predominantly has laterite soil, which is highly prone to erosion.
  • The steep and undulating terrain of Wayanad makes it naturally susceptible to landslides.
  • Wayanad receives intense and prolonged monsoon rains that cause water infiltration, leading to soil saturation and increased pore water pressure, which destabilizes slopes.
  • Large-scale deforestation for agriculture and settlement reduces the binding capacity of the soil and its ability to absorb water, exacerbating the risk of landslides.

What are Landslides?

  • A landslide is the downward and outward movement of materials including rock, earth, or debris down a slope due to gravitational force. Landslides are disasters of hydrogeological origin, resulting from the failure of materials falling down a slope due to gravity.
  • India is among the top five landslide-prone countries globally, with at least one death per 100 sq km reported annually due to landslides.

Regional Distribution

  • North-western Himalayas: 66.5% of landslides.
  • North-eastern Himalayas: 18.8% of landslides.
  • Western Ghats: 14.7% of landslides.

Key Policy Initiative: National Landslide Susceptibility Map

  • The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under ISRO released the Landslide Atlas of India in 2023.
  • This detailed guide identifies landslide hotspots across the country with a 100 sq. m resolution overview of landslide susceptibility.
  • The map highlights traditional high-risk areas and uncovers new regions of concern, broadening the scope of landslide monitoring.
  • Scientists conducted a risk assessment based on 80,000 landslides recorded between 1998 and 2022 across 147 districts in 17 states and two Union Territories, creating a “Landslide Atlas” of the country.

Key Highlights of the Landslide Atlas:

Top States by Landslide Events:

  • Mizoram: 12,385 events in the past 25 years.
  • Uttarakhand: 11,219 events.
  • Other states: Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura.

Districts with Maximum Landslide Exposure:

  • Arunachal Pradesh: 16 districts.
  • Kerala: 14 districts.
  • Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir: 13 districts each.
  • Himachal Pradesh, Assam, and Maharashtra: 11 districts each.
  • Mizoram: 8 districts.
  • Nagaland: 7 districts.

Highest Landslide Density and Risk Exposure:

  • Rudraprayag and Tehri Garhwal districts in Uttarakhand.

PYQ:

[2021] Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy.

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