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| Friday, 16 January 2004 |
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A Land Use Policy to counter landslides by Chandani Jayatilleke Over 50 percent of landslides in Sri Lanka occur due to man-dealt destruction to the environment. Therefore, it is necessary that the authorities take speedy measures to introduce a Land Use Policy to mitigate such disasters, say experts studying causes for landslides. They have found that most of the recent landslides were due to deforestation, cultivation on slopes, non-engineered construction and improper drainage. Some of this damage is also caused by construction of buildings on unstable slopes, construction of roads on steep slopes, setting forests ablaze, tobacco cultivation, supplying water for cultivation without a proper plan and fragmentation of rocks. Landslides which are often triggered by intense heavy rains are an increasing problem due to development activities and rapid urbanisation, R. M. S. Bandara, Acting Head of the Landslides Studies and Services Division of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) said. Referring to recent landslides in the Walapane District, he said that the disaster was caused by the misuse of land by the villagers. "They had built some water tanks on the slope which were washed out by heavy rains causing landslides," he said. In Sri Lanka there are many major areas in several districts that have been identified as risky areas for landslides. The areas include: Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kandy, Matale and Kalutara. Landslides are triggered by masses of soil or rock slipping down slopes. When a slope has no proper drainage, rain water is retained within the soil mass. Surface soil layers tend to break up and surface soil becomes heavy with water. The tendency to slide due to gravitational pull increases. If this mass is on a 'slip' surface, a landslide will occur, Bandara said. It can cause destruction of life and property. How do people die during a landslide? The rolling down of mud and rocks can take place in many ways. Sometimes they slide slowly, like a snail. At other times, they race down the slopes at a speed even greater than that of an Olympic medallist running the 100 metres race and the pieces of rocks, soil and debris falling down a slope can kill the people. NBRO has carried out a project on Landslide Hazard Mapping in Badulla and Nuwara Eliya with technical assistance from the UNDP/UNCHS. Hazard Maps for Kegalle and Ratnapura districts have also been completed while mapping for Kandy and Matale districts is in progress. Through these projects, sustainable long-term and short-term mechanisms for landslide disaster management have been established and landslide detection units have been in operation in these districts. These units are expected to perform functions such as: conduct scientific examination of the geology of landslide prone regions, alert about imminent disasters and continue with detection work, operate programs to avert disaster and rehabilitate the areas that have been subject to landslides and provide training to officers in this regard at district, regional, divisional and village levels. NBRO in association with relevant Government organisations is in a continuous effort to educate people about possible landslides and prevents them from causing damage to the environment. It has also taken measures to evacuate people from landslide-prone areas. "Now that many people are aware of landslide threats in these areas, they come to us to get the approval for purposes such as building construction. But, with the implementation of a proper Land Use Policy, we will be in a better position to avert man-made destruction to the environment," Bandara said. |
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