Survey on landslide-prone areas needed in quake-hit Kashmir

Humanitarian aid groups have called upon the authorities of Pakistani-administered Kashmir to conduct a survey of landslide-prone areas in the earthquake-affected region to mitigate risks to local inhabitants ahead of monsoon rains in three months’ time.

The region’s earth surface was severely destabilised after the devastating earthquake of October 2005. On top of that, heavy monsoon rains during the summer of 2006 and recent heavy winter rains have increased the risk of landslide mud and debris flows in the area, specialists say.

At least 46 people were killed in landslide-related incidents last week across the region when a four-day spell of torrential rains and snow triggered massive landslides that hit hamlets in the mountains.

Landslides also blocked main and link roads making aid delivery to the affected people difficult.

“[Landslides] inflict heavy losses on human lives, infrastructure and property,” said Shireen Issa, a programme manager with international charity Aga Khan Development Network's (AKDN) multi-input earthquake reconstruction project in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

On 24 March, AKDN together with Pakistan's national engineering services (NESPAK), carried out a quick aerial survey of the area to assess the extent of damage in the affected Jhelum valley and the risk of further landslides in the face of another heavy rain spell forecasted by meteorologists for later this week.

"Seven highly vulnerable locations with unstable slope conditions have been identified during the assessment," Issa said. "Housing related prospects for residents of these areas need to be urgently considered by authorities."

Following a risk assessment study done in June 2006, ahead of monsoon rains, about 900 families from 23 landslide-prone villages in the surroundings of Muzaffarabad were moved to makeshift tented camps for their own safety.

The recent AKDN/NESPAK assessment also found that there had been a drastic increase in the degradation of slope conditions since last year.

"In several areas, wide, open fresh cracks have appeared within the steep upper slopes, whereas in others dormant cracks have been activated," the report stated. "Rock conditions and the extent of cracks indicate that sliding may increase manifold in the following months.”

John Sampson, head of the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) sub-office in Muzaffarabad, said that they had urged authorities “to carry out a technical study to identify landslide risk areas and relocate vulnerable families to safe places to minimise the risk of any future disaster".

"In our opinion, such an assessment should be done as soon as possible, [preferably] pre-monsoon because vulnerability is likely to increase during this time," AKDN's Issa said.

As monsoon season is due in three months, a detailed, time-consuming geological survey may not be feasible now, aid workers say. But "a study of detailed satellite images followed by on-ground site-specific surveys could be considered", Issa added.

ts/at/ar/ed