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Why in the News?
Recently, a landslide hit the Jiribam-Imphal railway line project in Manipur.Key Points:
About Landslides
- Landslides are a type of “mass wasting,” which shows any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity.
- They often take place in conjunction with earthquakes, floods and volcanoes.
- It occurs without the help of geological agents such as water, ice, or wind.
- “Landslide” encompasses five modes of slope movement:
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- Falls
- Topples
- Slides
- Spreads
- Flows
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Natural Causes:
- Slope destabilization due to Pressure of groundwater
- Little or no vertical vegetative structure
- Absence of soil cover
- Erosion of the top of a slope by rivers
- Weakening of a slope through saturation by snowmelt or heavy rains
Human-Induced causes:
- Mine and blast activities
- Construction, agricultural, or forestry activities which change the amount of water which infiltrates into the soil
- Landslides are largely controlled by highly localised factors.
- Hence, gathering information and monitoring the possibilities of landslides is not only difficult but also immensely cost-intensive.
Consequences of Landslides:
- b>Infrastructure Loss: Destruction of railway lines and channel-blocking due to rock-falls have far-reaching consequences.
- Diversion of river courses.
- b>Impacts Development: It also makes spatial interaction difficult, risky as well as a costly affair, which adversely affects the developmental activities in these areas.
Mitigation Measures:
- Locate areas prone to landslides through Hazard mapping.
- Construction of retention wall to stop the land from slipping.
- Increase in the vegetation cover.
- The surface drainage control works to control the movement of a landslide along with rain water and spring flows.
- Terrace farming
Jiribam-Imphal railway:
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