Land degradation, synonymous to desertification in arid, semi arid and sub-humid region, covers the processes adversely affecting productive capacity of land under different land use systems. Present paper reports the extent, type and severity of land degradation in south Asian countries.
Soil erosion is a natural process accelerated by human activities. Each year, erosion of surface soil from river basins amounts to 60 billion tons, resulting in 24 billion tons of sediment flux to the oceans in the world and almost 25 billion tons of soil lost from agricultural land.
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: The cracks developed on the ground near Neyyar Dam on Saturday was the result of a minor landslide in the area, according to the scientists from the Centre For Earth Science Studies (CESS), who visited the site on Monday.
The CESS scientists also revealed that the crack appeared only as a regional phenomenon on primary examination.
At least 15,914 persons have been displaced and 61 houses have suffered extensive damages and another 232 houses were severely affected due to the prevailing heavy showers and flood conditions, the Disaster Management Center said. At least 3404 families have been displaced due to the heavy rain in Kandy, Matara, Gampaha, Nuwara Eliya, Moneragala, Kurunegala and Puttalam Districts.
Massive landslides triggered by incessant rains in the past few days have cut off road links between Nagaland and Manipur with several stretches of the NH 39 being washed away or buried under debris.
While a major landslide took place in Nagaland capital Kohima, the national highway was also cut off at Tobio village, seven km from Tadubi in Manipur.
