Landslide Hazard Zonation Mapping of Champhai District of Mizoram, India

Abstract

Landslide hazard zonation is a method to assess the risk where there is a capacity for landslides. It is a technique in which an area is classified into different zones, and each zone is demonstrating the level of risk in that area. The demonstration of the area in zones is carried out by considering different causative factors and by giving weightage on how much influence they could be responsible for landslides. The study area Champhai, being a hilly terrain, is prone to landslides. A number of landslides are reported every year from various localities. These cause a lot of problem to public resulting in loss of life and property, blockage of roads, and disrupting communication network and also cause economic burden to society. The aim of this study is to prepare landslide hazard zonation (LHZ) map of Champhai district by following the steps and guidelines provided in IS 14496 (Part 2): 1998 (Anon in Bureau of Indian Standard, preparation of landslide hazard zonation maps in mountainous terrains guidelines, part 2 Macro-zonation, IS 1449, 1998). The methods in this study comprise identifying important causative factors such as slope morphometry, relative relief, land use land cover, and hydrological condition of the study area with the help of aerial photographs, satellite imageries, and toposheets. The map is then prepared with these causative factors for the study area Champhai by dividing it into four different areas of RD Blocks, and map is prepared for each block separately.