Micro-Zonation of Landslide Hazards Between Aizawl City and Lengpui Airport, Mizoram, India, Using Geoinformatics
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International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences IJBAS-IJENS Vol:17 No:05 7 Micro-Zonation of Landslide Hazards Between Aizawl City and Lengpui Airport, Mizoram, India, Using Geoinformatics Ch.Udaya Bhaskara Rao1 and Rahul Verma2 1Department of Geography and Resource Management, Mizoram University, Aizawl-796004, 2 Department of Geology, Pachhunga University College, Aizawl-796001, Mizoram. Corresponding Author: [email protected] Abstract-- Mizoram has highly undulating terrain with steep wedge failure is the prime cause of this slide. Massive slopes and deep valleys in its topographical set-up. As the terrain “Laipuitlang Slide” is a great example of human induced is of rugged nature composed of several unconsolidated factor (Verma, 2014). Still the area is lacking proper sedimentary formations, it is prone to frequent slope failures comprehensive studies at micro-level to understand the main causing massive landslides thereby disruption to traffic, damage cause in order to reduce the risk of this particular hazard at to property and loss of lives occurred at many sections in and places. GIS based landslide susceptibility mapping by around Aizawl city. An attempt has been made in this study to identify the areas of slope failure causing high magnitude heuristic and bivariate methods is useful to identify the areas landslides between Aizawl city and Lengpui airport by numerical prone to landslides more precisely (Prabhin Kayastha et al., rating scheme of landslide hazard evaluation factors (LHEF) 2013). Spatial probabilistic modeling for generation of slope with the help of the advanced tools of ArcGIS software. Five failure probability hazard map using geographical information zones of landslide hazards such as very high, high, moderate, low systems is much useful to identify the areas of slope failure at and very low have been identified along this road section. large scale (Zhou et al., 2003). The present study is an attempt in this part to prepare a micro hazard zonation map at large INTRODUCTION scale as per Bureau of Indian Standard, (1998) based on About 25% of the total geographical area of India is multi-criteria evaluation of the significant landslide causative in mountainous terrain prone to landslides mostly triggered by factors using GIS techniques. earthquakes and rainfall (Manik Das et al., 2011). A majority Study Area of landslides that occur in India particularly in the Himalayan It is a 35 km long the road section between Aizawl region are natural and catastrophic. Sometimes reservoirs also city and Lengpui airport. Topographically, it is a highly induce landslides with high magnitude (Singh et al., 2012). undulating terrain from the Aizawl city to Lengpui airport. Mizoram is also one of such highly undulating mountainous The relative relief of the area along the road ranges between terrains in the northeast India with steep slopes mostly linear, 85 and 866 m. The maximum relief of 866 m is found towards narrow and deep valleys. As the terrain is fragile, it is Hunthar Veng in the city and gradually decreases to 85 m subjected to frequent slope failures and subsequent towards Sairang village, and again rises up to 409 m towards topographic changes (Udayabhaskararao, 2014) causing Lengpui airport (Figure1). massive destruction to property and sometimes led to loss of Geology and Structure lives as happened several times in the past. Verma (2013) has The area is composed of sedimentary rocks such as outlined the prime causes of landslide in Aizawl township, in sandstones, siltstones and shales in alternate successions the light of aggravating factors. The human intervention in the belonging to Surma Group of Tertiary period (Ganju, 1975) in form of deforestation along with inappropriate land use its geological set-up. Most of the area except a few kilometers practices is also one the major causes for the frequent towards Lengpui airport is dominated by sandstone– occurrence of landslides in this mountainous region. A few siltstone/shale intercalation and prominently jointed in sets. studies of the road sections along north Tawipui –Thingfal, The regional dip is west ward with some local variations. The Hnathial-Hrangchalk, Hrangchalkawn-Rotlang and Roltlang- beds dip from moderate gradients of about 27o up to steep Tuichang in Lunglei district of Mizoram have been carried gradients of 56o. The joints are mostly high dipping varying out by Tiwari et al. (1996, 1998 & 2001) based on facet wise from more than 50o to almost sub vertical trends. A majority validation of landslide hazard evaluation factors (LHEF) of the joints are dip type (Figure 2). rating scheme for computation of total estimated hazards Climate (TEHD). Similarly, a few detailed site specific studies have The area receives an average annual rainfall of about been carried out by Tiwari et al. (1996) and Tiwari and Kumar 2500mm. Most of the precipitation is received during (1997) at South Hlimen and Bawngkawn landslides in Aizawl southwest monsoon period between the months of May and district, Mizoram and suggested remedial measures to September. Temperature ranges between 20oC and 32oC. The minimize the adverse effects of slope failure. Verma (2014) area experiences humid sub-tropical climate. The entire area has studied the ‘Ngaizel landslide’ and revealed that the is covered by tropical semi-ever green forest with a wide 174405-2323- IJBAS-IJENS @ October 2017 IJENS I J E N S International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences IJBAS-IJENS Vol:17 No:05 8 variety of plant species. Fig. 1. Location Map of the study area. 174405-2323- IJBAS-IJENS @ October 2017 IJENS I J E N S International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences IJBAS-IJENS Vol:17 No:05 9 Fig. 2. Lithology and Structures in the study area. MATERIALS AND METHODS geomorphic features and to map major land use/land cover Study area boundary, drainage network and pertinent units in the study area. Rainfall data for about 20 years (1997- topographic information have been obtained from the Survey 2017) from the two rain gauge stations located in Aizawl city of India topographical maps at 1:50,000 scale. Satellite and at Lengpui Airport has been collected to prepare rainfall imagery of IRS P6, LISS IV, MX at 5.8 x 5.8 m resolution of distribution map. Detailed field mapping has been carried out the year 2017 has been used to identify the prominent to map all litho-units and the structural features in and around 174405-2323- IJBAS-IJENS @ October 2017 IJENS I J E N S International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences IJBAS-IJENS Vol:17 No:05 10 the area. Slope map has been prepared from digital elevation equal weightage along with the other factors considered for model of Cartosat-1 with 30 x 30 m pixel size (Resolution) validation. using the Spatial Analyst module tools of ArcGIS software. Relief and Slope Drainage density map has been prepared from the drainage Relief and slope are the most significant factors network of the area. ArcGIS software has been used to digitize which determine the degree and intensity of slope failure. As the thematic layers. The thematic layers have been edited to the area is of highly rugged nature, relief varies greatly even in remove common errors then cleaned and built for polygon a small area over a short distance. Relief in the area ranges topology for final data integration. The thematic layers have between 85 and 866 m (Figure 3). The maximum relief of been projected to polyconic coordinate systems then rasterized about 866 m is observed in the city towards Hunthar Veng for validation in order to generate landslide hazard zonation up to Rangvamual and gradually decreases to about 85 m map. Due weightages are assigned to each unit in the thematic towards Sairang village and again it rises up to about 409 m at layers as per Bureau of Indian Standards (1998). All the Lengpui village further north of the study area. thematic layers have been multiplied with the corresponding Similarly, the area exhibits a variety of slope classes ranging predetermined thematic weights for their integration with the from gentle to steep and very steep up to 90o. This layer has help of raster calculator in ArcGIS Spatial Analyst module to been classified into 5 major classes such as (i) less than 15o, generate a micro landslide hazard zonation map of the road (ii) 15o-30o, (iii) 30o-45 o, (iv) 45o- 60o and (v) more than 60 o section between Aizawl city and Lengpui airport. (Figure 3). Most of the area exhibits slope between 15o to 45o. Thematic Data Generation A few areas in the northern and southern parts particularly Seven thematic layers such as relative relief, slope, near Sairang and Lengpui villages are gently sloping. Some geotectonic features like faults and fractures, drainage density, plain land is also seen in these areas. The road section from lithology, rainfall distribution and land use/ land cover have Rangvamual to Sihhmui villages over a length of about 20 km been used for generation of the micro-hazard zonation map of exhibits steep to very steep slope ranging from 45o even up to the area. As drainage triggers landslides in this area due to 90o. Similarly, some parts bordering Aizawl city, north of sedimentary nature of the terrain, drainage density was given Hunthar and south of Lengpui are also steep to very steep. Fig. 3. Topgraphic Relief and Slope in the study area. 174405-2323- IJBAS-IJENS @ October 2017 IJENS I J E N S International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences IJBAS-IJENS Vol:17 No:05 11 Drainage Density geological set-up. The thickness of these units, vary at places Tlawng is the only main river along with its from a few centimeters to several meters (Table.1 and Plate 1). tributaries flowing towards north in the area.