Do not panic over landslides - Prof

Asela Kuruluwansa

An isolated earthslip during heavy rains does not mean the entire area surrounding it is prone to landslide.

Therefore people should not panic when a landslide occurs in their region, said Prof Kapila Dahanayake of the Peradeniya University Geology Department yesterday.

He said land values in Primrose road area in Kandy had drastically slumped due to the landslide which totally destroyed a four storeyed house there recently. This is all due to a false notion that the whole region is landslide prone. Actually there is no such threat to the rest of the region.

He said most houses are subjected to earthslips due to improper and haphazard planning. This would not happen if people consulted engineers, architects and geologists before planning to build a house.