Heavy rains, deforestation to blame for landslides

BENGALURU: The  National Centre for Seismology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, have blamed continuous rainfall and ‘anthropogenic activities (deforestation, slope cutting) as the major cause for landslides in Kodagu. Responding to the query by the state government on whether a low-intensity earthquake had triggered landslides, the Centre noted that a majority of landslides are caused due to heavy rainfall or deforestation. “It appears that the relation between the said earthquake and the landslides in the region is purely speculative,” a response by Vineet K Gahalaut, Director of the National Centre for Seismology, read.