The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is contemplating launch of a National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Programme for the entire country by adopting modern technologies such as Geographical Indication systems and remote sensing.
This was disclosed at the conclusion at Wellington near here on Saturday of a two-day Regional Workshop on, “Landslide Disaster Management” for Southern States and Maharashtra, jointly organised by the GSI and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The proposed programme will include detailed field inputs for landslide vulnerable tracts in India.
The workshop, inaugurated by S.K. Wadhawan, Director General, GSI, Kolkata, pointed out that in Tamil Nadu, the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal had been categorised as highly susceptible to landslides.
Annamalai, Varshanadu and Megamalai were described as moderately susceptible.
The workshop noted that The Nilgiris had been experiencing landslides since 1824. In recent years, major landslides occurred in the Geddai, Marappalam, Katteri and the Kallar-Burliar sector.
The Additional Director General, GSI, Hyderabad, S. Balakrishnan, who was the workshop chairman, told The Hindu that the proceedings laid stress on the importance of forewarning of slides and instrumental monitoring of landslide-prone areas, so that the precautionary measures could be taken up by the district authorities.
Since, landslides in the Western Ghats were triggered by monsoon rains, the intensity and magnitude of the rainfall and its relation to the landslide occurrence would be the thrust areas in landslide studies. Stress would also be on enhancing awareness among people about landslides.
C. Thanavelu, Superintending Engineer, GSI, said the participants felt that the people living along vulnerable slopes should come together to put in place common drainage and sewage disposal arrangements.
The workshop was attended by administrators, planners, scientists and engineers from all over the country.
Pointing out that the study of landslide hazards was rapidly evolving, and in India, a number of agencies were actively involved in carrying out landslide hazard studies, he said the GSI as the nodal agency was in the forefront.
