State disaster management authority identifies landslide prone areas

Bengaluru: The intense monsoon season in Karnataka has led to widespread rainfall across the state, causing an alarming increase in floods and landslides. This escalating situation is becoming a significant concern for the state government. In response, the Revenue Department has identified areas prone to floods, landslides, and other disasters, and has issued directives for implementing precautionary measures.

A staggering 31,261 square kilometres of land in Karnataka have been identified as landslide-prone areas. Approximately 29 taluks face a high risk of landslides. Of this vast area, 1,164.52 sq. km are classified as very high-risk, 5,386.79 sq. km as medium-risk, and 24,710.11 sq. km as low-risk. The districts primarily affected by frequent landslides include Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Udupi, and Hassan. According to reports from the Geological Survey of India and the State Natural Disaster Management Committee, at least 15.30 per cent of Karnataka’s land area is at risk of landslides. Revenue Department data indicates that since 2006, approximately 1,541 landslides have occurred in the state, resulting in 101 reported deaths.

According to the report from the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority under the Revenue Department, Uttara Kannada district has the largest area vulnerable to landslides, covering 8,389.26 sq. km. Shivamogga follows with 4,797.97 sq. km, while Dakshina Kannada has approximately 4,600 sq. km prone to landslides. Kodagu faces a landslide risk across about 4,150 sq. km, and Chikkamagaluru has roughly 4,100 sq. km of land at risk. Udupi has approximately 2,650 sq. km prone to landslides, and Hassan has about 1,100 sq. km at risk.

In anticipation of this monsoon season, the Revenue Department has identified approximately 2,252 villages across the state as potentially susceptible to floods and landslides. It is estimated that a population of about 1,932,185 people could be affected by these disasters. A total of 171 taluks have been marked as vulnerable to floods/landslides, encompassing 1,288 Gram Panchayats. Within the BBMP jurisdiction, 201 locations have been identified as flood-prone.

Specific district breakdowns for flood/landslide prone areas include: Belagavi (230 villages), Bagalkot (203 villages), Vijayapura (76 villages), Uttara Kannada (208 villages), Chitradurga (51 villages), Bidar (51 villages), Shivamogga (216 villages), Kalaburagi (153 villages), Gadag (43 villages), Ballari (19 villages), Koppal (27 villages), Haveri (80 villages), Dakshina Kannada (90 villages), and Udupi (86 villages). Additionally, Mandya (112 villages), Chamarajanagar (21 villages), Chikkamagaluru (85 villages), Kodagu (88 villages), Yadgir (80 villages), Hassan (81 villages), Dharwad (56 villages), Tumakuru (13 villages), Raichur (26 villages), Vijayanagara (22 villages), Mysuru (63 villages), Ramanagara (17 villages), and Davanagere (55 villages) have also been identified as vulnerable.

To enhance disaster response, the government has instructed the formation of Urban Local Body/Rural Local Body Disaster Management Task Forces in flood and landslide-prone areas. These task forces will comprise the ward revenue officer/Panchayat Development Officer, village administrative officer, and representatives from the police, fire department, health department, women and child welfare department, and animal husbandry department.

These local task forces, leveraging local knowledge and in collaboration with KSNDMC, are tasked with identifying various types of disasters that may occur within their jurisdiction. They are also directed to form search, evacuation, rescue, and response teams, and to ensure the operational efficiency and readiness of their rescue equipment.