Option D - Kalimpong, India - Mass movement

Question 1

Where is Kalimpong, India?

Answer 1

• West Bengal

Question 2

Why is Kalimpong, India prone to mass movement?

Answer 2

• located at the bottom of the Himalayas where heavy precipitation (monsoon) occurs

Question 3

When did the mass movement in Kalimpong, India start?

Answer 3

• started in 2015 - constantly continuing

- happened during the monsoon season (heavy precipitation) - triggered large numbers of landslides

Question 4

Why was the population in Kalimpong, India vulnerable to mass movement?

Answer 4

• town centre on a ridge connecting two hills - steep slopes and soft soil leading to frequent landslides
• low population (50000),
• population density of 41 people/km2
• West Bengal GDP per Capita of $2100

Question 5

What were the social impacts of the mass movement in Kalimpong, India?

Answer 5

• taken away 400m stretch of the main road
• taken away 2 houses (farmers → lost all livestock like pigs, goats, farmland) and only a matter of time before more too
• is threatening a church and school
• no injuries to people

Question 6

What were the economic impacts of the mass movement in Kalimpong, India?

Answer 6

• disrupts tourism (most significant contributor to their economy)

Question 7

What is mass movement?

Answer 7

• movements of soil and rock debris down slopes in response to the pull of gravity, or the rapid or gradual sinking of the Earth’s ground surface in a predominantly vertical direction