Landslide Report 3 (Kalimpong) - Sep2020

Continuing with the landslide surveys (See Report 1 and Report 2 in this blog)  around Kalimpong town, on 09Sep2020, we went to the north eastern sector of Kalimpong along Reshi Road upto ALGARAH. This road is of strategic importance to India since much of the logistics for the Indian army in East Sikkim (opposite Doklam) goes thru this road. Also in case of NH10 being blocked, this road, via Lava/Gorubathan serves as the alternate route to Siliguri.
Regarding the survey:

• Besides the landslide/subsidence zones mentioned below, what was very evident was the serious deterioration in the condition of the Kalimpong -Algarah section of Reshi road with numerous sinking areas visible on many parts of the road, where another heavy shower or two could result in collapse of the road at multiple places.
• What should be also noted here is that the entire region has many natural springs and jhoras which during heavy rain causes a lot of erosion and landslides in the area.
  
• STH has recorded the extreme rainfall events of AUGUST 2020 and their effects in earlier posts (see 1 and 2). Further the rainfall of August 2020 is also available in this blog. All the landslides recorded below were the result rainfall during the extreme rainfall events.
  

GHATEY KHOLA subsidence

Coordinates: 27° 4'42.00"N, 88°29'50.88"E
Size of subsidence of road : approx 45m in length
During periods of intense rain, Ghatey Khola is notorious for causing landslides in this area since the runoff from the entire populated areas at the crest of the hill finds its way into this drain.
14th Mile sinking zones
The 14th mile sinking areas have been featured in this blog numerous times (see 1 and 2) and are one of the oldest landslide zones in Kalimpong. During the heavy rains of August 2020, these areas were re-activated at almost the same locations causing large portions of the Kalimpong- Algarah road (Reshi Road) to subside.
No other damage to farmland or infrastructure was observed.

Sinking areas of Algarah town

Algarah town is approx 15 kms NE of Kalimpong and has a long history of landslides. I had visited the area some years ago and marked out the sinking areas (above). WIth less rainfall in the past few years, the landslide and sinking zones had also diminished. This year with the intense rains that we have had, the hotspots have re-emerged and perhaps the most crucial one is the one in LAMA WARD which is located in the centre of Algarah town.

Coordinates: 27.1172° N, 88.5837° E
Landslide at HART spring, Dr Graham's Homes, Kalimpong

Coordinates: 27° 4'56.22"N, 88°29'48.48"E 

Photo credits: Ms Shreya Gurung

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong district
Darjeeling- Sikkim Himalaya

Chasing landslides in the Darjeeling Himalayas (1) - 22Nov2015

STH has over the years endeavored to maintain a historical record of the landslide activity in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya in this blog since our region happens to be one of the most landslide prone in the world.
In a bid to update our records we will carryout surveys of landslide areas and publish our findings here - they will not be technical documents rather just factual data to highlight the severity of landslides in this region, in a hope that this disaster form will get the importance that it deserves.

27th Mile Landslide

1. Coordinates: N 26°59.913´ E 088°25.898´

2. Elevn : 299m 

3. Date of activation: 01July2015 - triggered by heavy rain

4. Approx size (from Google Earth): 236m X 400m 

5. Likely impact :

National Highway (NH) 10 and possibly Teesta Low Dam Project (TLDP III)

Karmat Landslide

1. Coordinates: N 26°55.749´ E 088°25.782´

2. Elevn: 675m

3. Date of Activation: Not known

4. Approx size (from Google Earth): 374m X 586m 

5. Likely impact:
Road communication from NH10 to Latpanchar cinchona plantation, Sittong 1/2/3 villages.

Sittong (3) Landslide

1. Coordinates: N 26°56.074´ E 088°23.708´

2. Elevn: 1143m

3. Date of Activation/cause : July1999 - triggered by heavy rain 

4. Approx size (from Google Earth): 290m X 1332m 

5. Fatalities : 08 in 1999. 

6. Relocated : 11 families shifted to Namthing Pokhari by Kurseong block office.

7. Planning relocation due to instability : 4 families with 18 members

8. Impacted:

Many acres of orange orchards and broom plants in the area.

A Different Type of Disaster :

Sittong (1/2/3) village was known for its fine oranges which used to flood the market places of Darjeeling district in Dec/Jan and was one of the main cash crops for many of its citizens. During my visit there yesterday, I learnt that for the last 3 years or so the crop production had declined drastically and now in Nov 2015 they were expecting yields, 90% below their optimum levels.

I was told that a peculiar disease had infected all the orange trees, wherein they would start dying from the inside and then a certain insect would lay eggs on the fruit which would make it rot prematurely -  and all this happening more to orange orchards at the lower elevations.

Some villagers went so far as to tell me that in 2016, they would most probably not produce any oranges from Sittong.

Credits:
My thanks to
Sachin Tamang of Kurseong (9832320738)
Dilkumar Rai of Shelpu, Sittong3 (9547280057)
MB Sarki of the Sittong landslide area (9832406234)
for their time and inputs.

Praful Rao,

Kalimpong,

Dist Darjeeling