Canacona highly susceptible to landslides: study

PANJIM, FEB 28
Almost after a year, the study by NIO researchers has revealed that Kuskem hill, which crumbled in the floods and overall Canacona region have a high susceptibility for the landslides.
The detailed study conducted by NIO scientists after the October 2, 2009 Canacona flash floods has revealed that steep slopes, high elevations and the sharp contact of the overburden with the base rock were the major factors that made this region susceptible to landslides.
The researchers have presented their detailed report to the state government on February 18, 2011.
 “The intense rainfall event of October 2, 2009 served as a trigger for the landslides in Canacona,” the report mentions.
Two hills – Kuskem dongor and another hill situated 2.5 kms away from kuskem dongor were studied using Landslide Potential Index (LPI) method.
The report titled ‘Proposed landslide mapping method for Canacona region’ is a comprehensive study by researchers including P M Kessarkar, K Srinivas, K Suprit and A K Chaubey.
The research team had to cross a partially dry river to reach to Kuskem dongor. “The river bed was filled with large sized boulders and loose material. The boulders varied in size and were angular in shape,” the details of the report mentions.
The team also noticed that near the foothill, the river bed was filled with rock boulders. 
“In the lower reaches, the bedrock of the hill was covered by thick overburden and the vegetation consisted of cashew trees. In the higher reaches, vegetation was either absent or scanty,” the team observed.
The researchers have concluded that in Canacona slope of the terrain, height of the terrain, vegetation, bedrock-overburden contact, soil type, and drainage pattern attributes for the landslides.
]In broad guidelines, the researchers have said that the landslide susceptibility and LPI map, along with a watch-keeping mechanism for the rainfall can be used to provide a useful warning for rainfall triggered landslides.
“The methodology can be easily extended to estimate LPI over the rest of Goa,” it adds.