What makes Kerala particularly vulnerable to landslides, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• Recent landslides, mudslides, and flooding in Kerala resulted in at least six fatalities and several missing persons.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the intense rainfall to an offshore trough extending from south Gujarat to Kerala, strong southwesterly winds, and a strong north-south pressure gradient.
• The widespread heavy rainfall occurred over a short period, exacerbated by the cumulative effect of preceding rainfall.
• Kerala's high vulnerability to landslides is concentrated along the Western Ghats, particularly in central and northern districts like Idukki, Wayanad, and Malappuram.

Kerala Landslides.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• Landslides are natural disasters characterized by the sudden movement of rock, boulders, earth, or debris down a slope.
• They are typically caused by a combination of conditioning factors such as soil topography, geology, and slope angles, and triggering factors like intense rainfall.
• Most landslides in India are rain-induced, where water infiltrates loose soil, weakening the bond with the underlying rock.
• Cumulative rainfall saturates slopes over time, making them highly susceptible to failure during subsequent bursts of heavy rain.
• Human interventions, including quarrying, road construction, and expansion of plantations, significantly destabilize slopes and disrupt natural drainage patterns.
• Unscientific construction, large-scale deforestation, excavation, and excessive infrastructure development are major anthropogenic contributors to increased landslide risk.
• The Western Ghats region, with its steep slopes, specific geological formations, and changing land use, is inherently prone to such events.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Landslide: A rapid downward movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope, often triggered by heavy rainfall or seismic activity.
• Offshore trough: An elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure extending from the coast into the sea, influencing monsoon weather patterns.
• Western Ghats: A mountain range running parallel to the western coast of India, recognized as a biodiversity hotspot and an area prone to geological hazards.
• Anthropogenic activities: Human-induced actions that modify the natural environment, such as deforestation, mining, and construction, often exacerbating natural hazards.