Landslide in Vaishno Devi Track | 03 Sep 2024

Why in News?

Recently, a landslide occurred on the new track to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, affecting the route near Panchi, 3 km ahead of Bhawan.

Key Points

  • Vaishno Devi Temple: Temple is located at 5,200 feet in the Trikuta mountains, sees over one crore visitors annually, with a 12 km trek from Katra.
    • Key Landmarks: Darshani Deodhi, Banganga, Chara Paduka, Indraprastha, Adhkuari, Garbha Joon, Himkoti, Haathi Matha, Sanji Chhat Bhavan, Sher ka Panja and Bhairon Mandir.
  • Reasi, a town and notified area committee in Jammu and Kashmir, situated on the bank of the Chenab River. It was part of the Bhimgarh state established by Bhim Dev in the 8th century AD.
    • Bhimgarh State, centered in Reasi, remained independent until 1822 when Raja Gulab Singh unified the small states in the region.

Landslide

  • A landslide is a geological phenomenon involving the downward movement of a mass of rock, soil, and debris on a slope. This movement can vary in scale from small, localised shifts to massive and destructive events.
  • Landslides can occur on both natural and man-made slopes, and they are often triggered by a combination of factors such as heavy rainfall, earthquakes, volcanic activity, human activities (such as construction or mining), and changes in groundwater levels.