The June 2018 Karinchola Landslide, Kerala State, South India

Over 65 landslides occurred during the first phase (June 2018) of the 2018 extreme rainfall event in Kerala State, South India. While rainfall was indisputably the trigger, several causes—both natural and anthropogenic—contributed to the landslide occurrences. In this paper, we examine one of the most devastating of these landslides—the Karinchola landslide in Kattippara Panchayat, Kerala, which occurred on 14 June 2018. The slide resulted in 14 deaths, a few injuries, and damage to property and infrastructure. Possible causes of the slide include excessive rainfall earlier in the year, excavation of a portion of the slope to create a water storage tank, and a breach of the tank. In order to prevent future landslides at the site, debris from the upper reaches of the slope must be cleared; loose, unconsolidated soil must be anchored using endemic vegetation; and there must be no more excavation of the slope and no construction that blocks the natural flow of water.