Context:
High-Level Committee (HLC) approved National Landslide Risk Mitigation (NLRM) Project in 15 States
National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project (NLRMP)
- Objective – To reduce landslide risk and susceptibility in hilly areas prone to landslides and mudflows.
- Focuses on both structural and non-structural measures to mitigate landslide hazards.
- Funding from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF)
- Key Components –
- Hazard Mapping: Creation of detailed landslide hazard maps to identify vulnerable areas.
- Monitoring and Early Warning Systems: Development and implementation of systems to monitor landslide-prone areas and provide early warnings.
- Capacity Building and Training: Training of stakeholders, including local communities, government officials, and disaster management personnel, to enhance their capacity to manage landslide risks.
- Awareness Programs: Conducting awareness programs to educate the public about landslide risks and mitigation measures.
- Stabilization and Mitigation Measures: Implementation of engineering solutions to stabilize slopes and mitigate landslide risks.
Landslides:
- Downward movement of rock, soil, and debris on a slope
- Landslides occur when gravity forces pushing on hill slope material exceed the frictional forces holding the material in place.
- Types of Landslides –
- Falls: This type of landslide involves the collapse of material from a cliff or steep slope, which then falls down the slope and collects near the base.
- Topples: In this type of landslide, the falling mass undergoes forward rotation and movement around an axis or point at or near the base.
- Slides: This type of landslide features a distinct zone of weakness that separates the moving material from a more stable underlying material.
- Rotational Slide: Here, the surface of rupture is curved concavely upward, and the slide movement of the falling mass is rotational about an axis parallel to the ground surface and transverse across the slide.
- Translational Slide: In this type, the landslide mass moves along a roughly planar surface with little rotation or backward tilting.
- Flows: This type of landslide involves the movement of material down a slope in the form of a fluid.
- Mud Flow: This involves the movement of wet material, primarily composed of sand, silt, and clay-sized particles.
- Debris Flow: Loose soils, rocks, and organic matter combine with water to form a slurry that flows down a slope.
- Rock Flow or Rock Avalanches: This specific type of landslide involves the flow of rock material downslope.
Landsides in India:
- Excluding snow-covered areas, around 12.6 percent of India’s geographical land area is prone to landslides.
- India is among the top 5 landslide-prone countries globally, along with China, the US, Italy, and Switzerland.
- Major Landslide-Prone Areas in India –
- Northeastern Region: Comprises about 50 percent of the total landslide-prone areas in India.
- Himalayan Region: Areas of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
- Western Ghats: Areas of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Nearly 17,000 sq. km of area in Kerala, mostly on the western side of the Western Ghats, is mapped as landslide-prone.
- Eastern Ghats: The Araku region in Andhra Pradesh.
- Recent Initiatives –
- Landslide Atlas of India – Developed by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), it offers important information and insights related to landslides in India.
- National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) Programme – Under the programme, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has completed landslide susceptibility mapping.
- National Landslide Forecasting Centre (NLFC) – Established to enhance landslide prediction and provide timely warnings.
- Bhusanket Web Portal and Bhooskhalan Mobile App – Launched to disseminate landslide forecasts and allow stakeholders to share and update information on landslide occurrences.
Source: Deccan Herald
Previous Year Question
The 2004 Tsunami made people realise that mangroves can serve as a reliable safety hedge against coastal calamities. How do mangroves function as a safety hedge?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2011 Prelims]
(a) The mangrove swamps separate the human settlements from the sea by a wide zone in which people neither live nor venture out.
(b) The mangroves provide both food and medicines which people are in need of after any natural disaster.
(c) The mangrove trees are tall with dense canopies and serve as an excellent shelter during a cyclone or Tsunami.
(d) The mangrove trees do not get uprooted by storms and tides because of their extensive roots
Answer: (d)