Unraveling the Causes of Landslides: Climate, Geology, and Human Impact

Rainfall plays the most significant role in landslides. Human activities can also hinder water drainage, destabilizing the landscape. India’s monsoon is characterized by prolonged rainfall, which increases moisture in soil and rocks. This leads to increased pressure on pores and weakens their ability to bind together, significantly contributing to landslides. Development activities, deforestation, road construction, and the expansion of existing infrastructure, especially on unstable or non-engineered slopes, often obstruct natural drainage systems, further destabilizing the terrain. The National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) program has identified areas in the entire Himalayan region, including Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, as highly susceptible to landslides. The Western Ghats in peninsular India, including regions like Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, particularly the Nilgiris and the Konkan coast, have also been identified as high-risk areas.