“The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.” Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation. (UPSC 2016)

The Himalayas are among the world’s most landslide-prone regions because they are young, fragile and tectonically active. Nearly 15% of India’s land is landslide-prone, and the Himalayas account for over 60% of such zones.

• Causes: Active plate collision, steep slopes, weathered rock, and frequent earthquakes weaken slope stability.
• Climate factors: Intense monsoon rain, cloudbursts, snowmelt and glacial lake outburst events saturate soil and trigger slope failure.
• Human factors: Road cutting, tunnelling, hydropower projects, deforestation, unplanned tourism and settlement on unstable slopes increase risk.

• Mitigation: Scientific slope mapping, strict land-use zoning and carrying capacity studies should guide all projects.
• Engineering measures: Retaining walls, drainage, rock bolting, bio-engineering and afforestation can stabilise slopes.
• Preparedness: Real-time monitoring, early warning systems, hazard databases and community awareness are essential.

Thus, landslides in the Himalayas are a natural but worsening hazard. Risk can be reduced only through a mix of careful planning, resilient infrastructure and ecosystem-based management.