On Sunday, July 26, nine people lost their lives when a landslide suddenly flung boulders down a hill in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district which saw a bridge collapse caught on camera.
Less than two weeks ago, a series of landslides in two areas of Mumbai claimed at least 32 lives on July 18. Four days before that incident, five died in HP's Kangra district after heavy rainfall triggered flood and landslide on July 14.
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India is not new to landslides with several regions prone to witnessing such adverse events including the Himalayan states, the hilly areas in Northeast India, the Western and Eastern Ghats, the Nilgiri and the Vindhya range.
As per the Geological Survey of India (GSI) website, landslides occur in areas with existing landslides that are old and/or recent, bases or tops of steep cut slope and old fill slopes, and bases of minor drainage hollows.
Warning signs of a landslide
GSI lists a number of different warning signs to identify danger if one is an area prone to landslides. Audio-visual warning signs include:
- Doors or windows that get jammed or struck
- Cracks in wall plaster or material of a construction like bricks and tiles,
- If you see outside walls or staircase pull away from a building
- Broken underground utility pipelines
- Cracks developing on the ground or paved roads that slowly widen
- The ground starts bulging at the base of a slope
- If one witnesses ground water emerging from new sites
- If the water level in a creek suddenly decreases despite still raining or having recently rained
- Utility poles, trees, retaining walls or fences begin to move or tilt
- One may hear a “faint rumbling sound that increases in volume as the landslide nears.” In a landslide, the ground “slopes downward in one specific direction and may begin shifting in that direction under your feet.”
The scientific agency says that one should immediately inform the local Fire, Police or PWD officials, and affected neighbours, and leave the area quickly in case of signs of an imminent landslide.
Precautions in case of landslides
GSI lists precautionary measures to be taken during landslides for both people inside a building or outdoors. For those indoors, GSI says they should remain inside the building and take cover under a “sturdy piece of furniture” like a table, a desk or similar.
For those out in the open, they should try to get out of the path of a landslide or mudflow quickly and reach the nearest high ground that they can find in a “direction away from the path.”
If you see rocks or mountain debris coming towards you, run to get shelter at the nearest building or a group of trees. In you are unable to escape the path of the landslide, your best bet is to curl into a tight ball and shield your head from impact.
The scientific agency also says that you should stay away from an area which just witnessed a slide as there may be additional ones. One should get aware of the latest emergency information available on radio or TV.
For more information on Do’s and Don’ts during landslides, check out the information on the GSI website here.
