Landslides

Nepal is a highly mountainous country lying in between China in the north and India in the east, west and south. The mountains and hilly region of the country occupy nearly 83% of the total area. Because of steep mountain slopes and dynamic geological conditions, landslides are very common in the hilly and mountain region of Nepal. Study shows that, for small scale landslide monsoon rain is the most triggering agent.

On 2 August 2014, after a heavy downpour, Mankha VDC of Sindhupalchowk district in Nepal was struck by a massive landslide. More than a dozen houses were buried, 156 people died and some are still recovering from injuries. More than 100 police and soldiers dug through the pile of mud and rocks using bulldozers and evacuators, removing the buried dead bodies. Nepal’s disaster management division assumed that that death toll could reach 165 or higher. Around 500 people have been displaced after the massive landslide.

Landslide expert Dr. Ranjan Dahal said that the cause to this huge landslide is the outflow of water with strength about six hours which had around 6 million cubic metres per second of water. The landslide blocked the flow of Sunkoshi River completely, building a huge artificial dam across it. A large volume of water was accumulated in the artificial dam increasing the fear of flash flood in places such as Ramche, Takanpur, Dhuskan and the Barhabise market area.

The people of Nepal are very superstitious, especially in the remote areas. They do not prepare themselves for disasters and believe that God will protect them from such disasters. They believe that people die in such disasters because of the sins they have committed. So when the disaster really comes, the only thing they can do is suffer and wait for the rescue team to come and help them.

The same thing happened with the people of Sindhupalchowk. Though they were living on a slope area they had not prepared themselves for such a landslide. The devastating landslide came and took away their homes and their loved ones but they could do nothing.

For preparedness for the landslides people must recognize the signs and understand the warnings; some grounds and areas seep that before that has not been seep, cracks and unusual bulges on the land and streets are seen, some soil move away from its foundation, broken water lines are seen, sudden decrease in the creek water levels though rain has just stopped, and unusual sounds.

Before the landslide if we know that there are possibilities of the land slide then we have to change our locations and move to a safe place and aware others too not to build near steep slopes or close to the mountain and edges, and some erosion valleys.

If we want to buy home or land for factory we should get ground assessment property. We must also have an insurance of our property and our lives. We have to contact local official, state geological surveys or departments of natural resources before landslide occur so that they can give specific information about the place in detail.

The homes they are near the river or sea they should notice the runoff level of the water so that they can estimate the situation for prepares. We can minimize some hazards by avoiding gas or water leak and fitting fit pipes, planting ground and covering slopes and building high walls.

We can cover the beach with some strong material so that if the speed level of water increases the tides of the water come and touch that strong material which is paced on the beach and not to destroy places, for that government may ask people to leave some of the homes near the river or beach and provide them other shelters. In this method it is possible to avoid landslides.

What can we do during landslide?

We have to be aware about the climate of the place we live in. If we get news that nearby there has been strong rain fall then from the same time we have to take that seriously and take preparation. If we are at home and a landslide occurs, we have to move to the safe location by a shortcut.

The homes near slopes should be built in a way that these disasters should be expected and they should have a shortcut way to go out of their homes. If we are inside building and landslide occurs then we have to stay inside and take cover under a desk, table, or piece or sturdy furniture.

If we are out door we should try to get out of that route or mudflow. We should run to the nearest high grounds which are away from the landslide path. If the rocks and debris are moving toward us we should run to the nearest shelter such as group of trees or a building. If escape is not possible then we have to curl into a small ball and try to protect our head.

We should remember that most of the time flooding happen after a landslide and have preparation for that too. Once it is safe, we should check for injured and trapped persons we should not forget to help people. We must also keep enough food supplies, water and first aid kit with us in case we get trapped for a long time.

We have to move as soon as possible we should not delay and try to save ourselves not the belongings.

What can local residents do for the landslide preparation?

To guard against the natural disaster we have to look at our past and take lessons and prepare. The authorities should look at those places which had landslides and search the causes and look for firming the places.

According to the cabinet Office of Japan, more than 500,000 locations nationwide have been identified as susceptible to landslides. People should know well about the places which are prone to landslide and if they are the residence of that area they must always be alert and prepared for a landslide. So as the people get the alert of a heavy rain fall, earthquake, storm or any other factors that trigger landslide then they should take it seriously and aware others around or talk to any official stop.

Government should also have some preplans for helping the people during disasters. They should continuously inform people about the changing weather, possibilities of disaster and the ways they can protect themselves and their families.

After the disaster government should arrange for rescue team to help the people, provide them with a temporary shelter, food, clothes and financial support.

What can small businesses do for landslide preparations?

The small businesses can help to raise awareness for the preparedness during disasters. These businesses should have projects and workshops for the preparation of the disasters only not for the students but also for the ordinary people because they need help more. These businesses should try to start a project and invite people around the world for the solutions and remedies.

There are a lot of people around the world who want to work as volunteers for the whole humanity. Gathering volunteers, carrying out awareness programs, collecting funds for the victims etc are some works that can be done by the small business.