Geological Behavior (GBR)

Landslides are one of the most dangerous and frequent natural hazards worldwide and in Pakistan, wreaking havoc on society and the economy. Susceptibility mapping, as well as geological and geotechnical investigations, are the focus of this study on the Plang landslide in Neelam Valley, Pakistan’s Lesser Himalayas. This landslide’s causes and solutions were determined by a combination of geotechnical soil testing, longitudinal profiles, geological mapping, seismicity, roadcut, and rainfall assessments. The greatest concentration of landslides (as measured by both number of occurrences and slope gradient) was found on slopes with a gradient of between 31 and 40 degrees (33.5%). Most landslides (33.75%) happened facing south-east, according to the spatial link between the number of landslides and the slope aspect. To determine landslip causes and triggers, geotechnical studies were conducted. Complex debris flow and slump failure characterize the Plang landslip. Sieve analysis, Atterberg limits, specific gravity and study of disturbed soil samples show that Plang landslip soils are silty sand to clayey sand with plasticity index (PI) of 4.4%. The study depicts that drainage network, anthropogenic activities along steep slopes, fragile geology, active faults, freeze, and thaw action are influential parameters which significantly contribute to the landslide events.