Landslides-prone hill stations in India to avoid in monsoon!

While monsoons bring smiles to the faces of farmers and adventure-seeker travellers who set out on the journey to explore the enhanced beauty of the places, heavy rainfall, and its aftermath is not always pleasant. Due to the rich topography, India has many hill stations that are popular for their beauty but become dangerous during monsoons - all due to the landslides. Alone this year, a few places in Kerala have seen landslides due to the monsoon which has created havoc. So, if you are also planning to travel this monsoon, make sure you avoid these hill stations so that you don't have to regret your decision later.

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Shimla has been a popular tourist destination and in the recent past, the tourism here has increased with both foreign and local tourists on the land, often leading to the release of pictures of chaos. While that is still manageable, the rapid development in the capital city of Himachal Pradesh to woo tourists has increased the chance of landslides. Every year, there are incidents of landslides leading to casualties. So, you can enjoy this beauty in winter - when it is at its best and skip during monsoons!  

Manali, Himachal Pradesh 

The talk of the town among young tourists, Manali is the second in line that is moving towards the road of unplanned development leading to deforestation for capitalistic gains. But on the larger front, it makes the town more prone to landslides. There have been reports of road closures and disruptions of all kinds due to landslides in monsoon. It is, hence, best to avoid your gang trip to this place for monsoon!

Nainital, Uttarakhand

Visiting Nainital will get you a glimpse of the load on this scenic town with a number of accommodations set up on hills. While it is a common sight at every hill station, the increasing number of hotels, houses, and other commercial establishments on the hills have made the town congested and more prone to landslides. No doubt as to why there have been incidents of landslides in the region leading to loss of lives. So, make sure you keep this place bookmarked for the winter or to enjoy the soothing breeze, for summer!

Mussoorie, Uttarakhand

As much as it is beautiful in winter, Mussoorie becomes risky during monsoon! With steep terrains and heavy deforestation, landslides have become common and hence, must be avoided during monsoons. In the recent past, there have been various landslides costing the lives of travellers, so, choose wisely. 

Darjeeling, West Bengal

The soothing breeze and quaint life describe the everyday scenes in Darjeeling. However, observe the place minutely and you will realise how tall buildings, shops, and rapid development is costing nature. Added to the steep slopes and heavy rainfall, Darjeeling faces landslides during monsoon. The landslides often lead to disturbances in road and rail connectivity. Hence, skip this plan during the monsoon!

Munnar, Kerala

Going down south is all fine unless you go to Munnar during monsoon. This beauty which is lively during summer with tourists taking the aroma from tea estates becomes a less-preferred spot during monsoon. The place has recorded various devastating landslides in the past. As Munnar lies in the Western Ghat terrain when doubled with heavy rainfall becomes dangerous during this season. So, best to get here in the summer and avoid in monsoon!

Kalimpong, West Bengal

This beautiful scenic town in West Bengal Kalimpong can be explored well in other seasons, however, not in monsoon. Prone to various landslides, this hill station has steep slopes and becomes risky when mixed with heavy rainfall in this region. So, it is advised to visit Kalimpong - which is still untouched by the tourists on its land - in other seasons but not in monsoon!

Ooty, Tamil Nadu

The queen of hills, even Ooty is not a good option to consider when travelling during monsoon. The ever-growing urbanisation in the city and the hilly terrains make it difficult to prevent landslides. While the effects of these developments cannot be observed usually, they become evident during monsoon. As the Nilgiris hills receive heavy rainfall, it has led to the damage of various properties and establishments. So, beware of the place in the monsoon!  

Matheran, Maharashtra 

One of the most preferred destinations for a weekend getaway from Mumbai, Matheran is an exquisite beauty in monsoon. However, one must not take the risk of going there in monsoon as the locals here fear landslides and a lot of times, they have to be relocated from their bases because of it. Matheran receives heavy rainfall throughout the year, however, because of the Western Ghats terrain and extremely heavy rainfall in this region during monsoon, the place becomes prone to landslides and hence, must be avoided and kept to be explored for later!