Kodagu Floods | Latest Burning Issue

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KODAGU DISTRICT

Kodagu is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. Heavy downpour in the district has caused flooding and left at least eight people dead and more than 4,000 displaced

THE SITUATION

LANDSLIDES AND FLOODS

One of the smallest districts in Karnataka, where the River Cauvery originates from, the entire district is now reeling from the disaster caused by rains, multiple landslides and incessant flooding.

KAVERI RIVER

Originating in the foothills of Western Ghats at Talakaveri, Kodagu in Karnataka it flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the southeastern lowlands, emptying into the Bay of Bengal through two principal mouths in Poompuhar,Tamil Nadu.

A LOT OF RAIN. SERIOUSLY!

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Kodagu has received a total of 2732.5 mm rainfall since June this year.
This is double the annual average rainfall during the monsoon which is pegged at 1738 mm.
The last time such a disaster was witnessed in the state was in 1961

ILLEGAL SAND MINING AND DESTRUCTION OF SAFETY RIDGES

There are several ridges along the buffer zone of River Cauvery where illegal sand mining has been going on. This has made the embankments weak and they were unable to withstand the heavy water flow when the river swelled up.

Ridge or a mountain ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance.

NOTES

Areas like Kudumangalore (near Harangi Dam), Hattihole and Mukkodlu were the worst hit. The embankments were weakened by illegal sand mining and they broke loose, which resulted in flooding
Harangi Dam – The Harangi Reservoir is located near Hudgur village, Somwarpet taluk in Kodagu district in the Indian state of Karnataka

RAMPANT DEFORESTATION

In 2014, over 50,000 trees were chopped off to construct a powerline between Karnataka and Kozhikode. Now, the government is planning to chop off lakhs of trees for construction of multi-lane highways.
Apart from this, over the past few years, many trees on the hillslopes and forest areas were cut to construct homestays, resorts and jungle lodges. Apart from this, there is also the problem of timber smugglers and over the years, they have destroyed Kodagu’s landscape

ISRO TEAM TO STUDY LANDSLIDES IN KODAGU

A team from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is scheduled to reach Kodagu today to study the massive landslides that has ravaged the district.
Landslides of such a magnitude have never occurred in Kodagu and it is for the first time that the district is reeling under widespread devastation.
Over 2,000 acres have literally been reduced to mounds of mud and slush

HOW DO LANDSLIDES THEY OCCUR?

earthquakes: Seismic activities have always been a main cause of landslides throughout the world. Any time plate tectonics move the soil that covers them moves with it. When earthquakes occur on areas with steep slopes, many times the soil slips causing landslides. Furthermore, ashen debris flows caused by earthquakes can also trigger mass movement of soil.
Heavy Rainfall: When sloped areas become completely saturated by heavy rainfall many times landslides can occur. Without the aid of mechanical root support the soil simply runs off when it contains too much water.

HUMAN CAUSES OF LANDSLIDES

Clear Cutting: Method of timber harvesting which completely removes all old growth timber from the area. This method is hazardous because it destroys the existing mechanical root structure in the area.
Mining: Mining operations that use blasting techniques often cause other areas that are at the risk of sliding to slide due to vibrations under the soil.

FUTURE PLANS

In the 2030 masterplan for Kodagu, the government has suggested that Madikeri town be expanded to three times its size. This will come at a high cost of deforestation. Currently, the reason for the landslides is because of the rampant terracing of hillslopes by cutting trees.
If more trees disappear, there will be nothing to act as a barrier for soil erosion and it will lead to more flooding and more landslides every time it rains
Madikeri is a hill station town in Madikeri taluk in Karnataka state, India. It is the headquarters of the district of Kodagu.