A Deformation Case Study of Darjeeling, West Bengal Using Multi-Temporal Insar for Defromation Study (MInDS)

Urban areas in hilly regions are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides and slope failures due to their complex topography. Darjeeling, often referred to as the “Queen of Hills,” located in the northeastern Himalayan range of West Bengal, India, is one such city at risk. This study aims to assess ground surface deformation in Darjeeling city using the Multitemporal InSAR for Deformation Studies (MInDS) technique. By analysing time-series data from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images, MInDS estimate the rate of surface deformation and detects movement related to slope failures. The results indicate significant deformation in densely populated areas of the city, highlighting a critical pattern of slope instability. This poses a severe socio-economic threat to the local population, emphasizing the need for immediate attention to mitigate potential disasters.