Prof (Dr) R D Gupta
The Jammu and Kashmir, being one of the northwestern Himalayan states, is very prone to landslides along the major highways besides vulnerbale to earthquakes, floods and droughts. Jammu and Kashmir National Highway possessing a long stretch 296 km from Jammu is the long lifeline linking India with Jammu and Kashmir. This road onwards from Kashmir is having broader ramification linking Kargil, Leh and other important spots of Ladakh region of the State. There is no denying fact that from Jammu up to Udhampur, the route is negotiable despite mountainous area. However, from Udhampur onwards up to Jawahar Tunnel, the road becomes most hazardous during both the rainy and winter seasons. During winter season, landslides become frequent occurrence due to heavy snowfall.
“Landslide involves horizontal and outward movement of rocks, soils or both of these comonents vis-a-vis vegetation and sometimes houses/buildings under the influence of gravity.” It is defined as the ”phenomenon of an earth mass from its underlying stationary part of sloppy land by a definite plane and moves downwards and upwards by its own weight due to its natural steady situation being broken by some natural events and human activities.” Simply, landslide is the mass movement of soil/rock from any sloppy land or area. It is infact, the perceptive gravitational transfer of material down slope.
Causes of landslides
Geology and kind of the soil, rainfall/snow, scarce vegetative cover, widening of the roads of National Highways, frequent movement of the vehicles, are the major contributors in bringing about the landslides.
Geology : Geologically, the whole of the Himalayan region is young in origin ranging from Precambrian to the recent Eocene period. Most of the area of Jammu and Kashmir Himalayas affected by the landslides lies in the Lesser Himalayas, which is influenced by deformation involving folding, faulting and over-thrusting-tectonic features characteristic of Orogenic origin. Geological sequence of the area is if middle Plestocene to recent Siwaliks with main boundary fault-Murees, Murees thrust, as well as upper Palaeozoic having Eocene group of rocks of the Autochthonous zone, Panjal thrust, Dogra slates and lower Palaeozoic Salkhalas.
Muree formations along with Dogra slates in Batote to Banihal are prone to landslides. Landslides occurring from 144 to 145 km of the National Highway are due to presence of crumpled slates on the surface having no proper drainage and toe erosion. Rocks of Salkhala series between Batote and Banihal are also vulnerable to landslides.
National Highway-1B between Batote and Kishtwar and onwards to Paddar, Doda-Bhaderwah road, Doda-Desa road, Batote to Reasi, Gool-Gulabgarh, National Highway – IC, Rajouri-Poonch are also afflicted with landslides. Now, landslides are common on Basohli-Bani, Billawar-Machhedi, Samba-Mansar-Surinsar, Basohli-Udhampur and Udhampur-Ramnagar roads.
Extreme rainfall and heavy snowfall : Extreme incessant rains at many places, sometimes showing no signs of receding, is another cause creating landslides. During the winter season, rainfall accompanied with heavy snow further aggravates this situation. As for example, in the light of the continuous rains and snowfall on 17th January, 2006 normal life got badly affected. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for a number of days to occurrence of heavy landslides. The Doda-Batote road was also closed following landslides at a number of places. Landslides and shooting stones claimed seven lives on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on February 18, 2012. This mishap took place near Khooni Nallah, when the landslide struck the motor-van and it fell down into a deep gorge, resulting in on-the-spot death of six passengers and one later on. Massive landslides blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban district on December 18, 2012 leading to stranding of 2000 vehicles. Continuous rains and snowfall have thrown normal life out of gear as Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed on February 4 and 5, 2013 owing to occurrence of landslides. Not only this, about dozen houses and two school buildings were also damaged.
Loss of vegetation cover : With the increased human population, many of the people have converted most of the woodlands into arable landslopes. Such slopes are not even fit for cultivation as top soil of these sloppy lands had already lost through water erosion. Cultivation on such lands does not yield good crops. Owing to looming human population, man has also misused an axe to eke out his living when forest covert went diminishing year after year. Reckless cutting of the trees along the National Highway has resulted in heavy landslides. Deforestation or cutting of trees is seen as a major reason for the landslides in various parts of the Kashmir valley as well as those of Poonch, Rajouri and Bhadu Billawar, etc.
Blasting : The blasting of the rocks during mining and quarrying as well as making of roads, railways tracks, buildings and dams, cause the loosening of rocks and serious fissures in the hills which as a result increase landslides.
Quarries and mines: Landslides occurring from 144 to 145 km of the National Highway and from Batote to Banihal and Kishtwar are owing to limestone and slate quarries.
Control measures
“A stitch in time saves nine holds good for stopping the menace of landslides.” There are a number of methods to check landslides, a few among them are as follows :
* Cultivation on steep slopes beyond 15 per cent should be totally banned strictly under certain law.
* All the badly eroded areas along the National Highway are required to be afforested on a largescale. Afforestation will protect the slopes from soil erosion as the roots of the forest trees bind the soil in place. While afforesting fast growing, deep rooted, hardy plants/trees should be planted at a close spacing to cover the slopes in 3-4 years, Robinia, Kahu, species of Acacia (wherever possible to grow) and soil binding grass such as Ailanthes species should be grown.
* Biotic pressure including that caused by nomads requires to be kept at bay.
* Construction of retaining walls should be preferred.
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