August, 1998 landslide tragedies of central Himalayas (India): learning from experience

During the monsoons of 1998 Central Himalaya was struck hard by landslides. Major incidences took place in Kali, Kaliganga and Madhyamaheshwar river valleys and the death toll in these crossed three hundred. Fieldwork undertaken in these valleys has brought forth interrelationship between various geomorphic parameters and the landslides. At the same time, it was observed that under compulsions of increasing population and fragmenting social set‐up, traditional resource management strategy is often bypassed aggravating the problem. Based on these experiences and laboratory based GIS and remote sensing analysis of the parameters affecting landslides an anthropocentric approach for mitigating disasters in the region is proposed.