UPSC Mains 2016 · GS I · Q14 · 12.5 marks · 200 words

“The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.” Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation.

हिन्दी में

‘‘हिमालय भूस्खलनों के प्रति अत्यधिक प्रवण हैं।’’ कारणों की विवेचना कीजिए तथा अल्पीकरण के उपयुक्त उपाय सुझाइए।

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “The Recent landslides in the hilly states of India have resurfaced the vulnerabilities of the Himalayan region. In this context, discuss the factors responsible for increased occurrence of landslides in the region.”

Jatin JainAIR 91 · CSE 2022 · 210 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Landslides are mass weathering of rocks and debris in the hilly region. India's 17% land is vulnerable to landslides.

E.g.: Kunool, Kodikonal, Kedarnath (2013), Assam (2022)

Body

Vulnerability to landslide (Himalayan Region)

  1. Tectonically Active subduction plate of Himalayas - Seismic zone V
  2. Heavy rainfall due to trapping of monsoon by Himalayas (E.g.: Kedarnath (Cloud Burst))
  3. Steep slope of the hilly terrain
  4. Water and soil erosion leading to loosing of the surface
  5. Himalaya source of perenial river system which also makes the region vulnerable
  6. Unsustainable Tourism - beyond carrying capacity puts pressure on the hills
  7. Construction & minning activities in region

Close

Eg: Char Dham project (Ravi Chopra Committee)

[Diagram: Map of India with shading along the Himalayas and the Western Ghats labeled as 'Fig: landslide prone areas']

Impacts of landslideSolutions & Way forward
→ Loss of life & livelihood→ Strict following NDMA guidelines
→ impacts the agriculture→ Early Warning System
→ Biodiversity loss (as biodiversity hotspot)→ Sustainable tourism (Bhutan model)
→ Green Blue Infra

India needs to build Disaster Resilient infrastructure and follow Sendai framework for Build Back Better.

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper I, Q14. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.