Malpa landslide

Malpa landslide was one of the worst landslides in India. On 11 and 17 August 1998, massive landslides wiped away the entire villiage of Malpa in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand (Then in Uttar Pradesh) in Kali Valley of Higher Kumaun Himalaya. A total of 221 people died including 60 Hindu pilgrims traveling to Tibet as part of Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. One noted death was the Indian dancer Protima Bedi.

Pithoragarh valley Panoramic view

Causes of Landslide

The landslide generated around one million cubic meters of rock fall and debris flow. This debris partially blocked the Kali River. The landslide prevailed mostly due to steep, almost vertical, slopes of rock above the valley. In addition to the slopes, proximity of the rock mass to major tectonic plates and major rainfall into the porous rock caused the formation to fall. Stress on the rock formations caused the landslide. The slide demonstrated the distressed state of rock in the Himalayan region because of the drift of the Indian plate northward.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Paul, S. K; Bartarya, S. K; Rautela, Piyoosh; Mahajan, A. K (2000-11-01). "Catastrophic mass movement of 1998 monsoons at Malpa in Kali Valley, Kumaun Himalaya (India)". Geomorphology. 35 (3–4): 169–180. doi:10.1016/S0169-555X(00)00032-5.


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