State to form core group to mitigate landslides

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 9

Every year, the state witnesses major landslides, causing loss of life and damage to property, fields, roads and infrastructure. This was stated by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue & Public Works) Manisha Nanda.

Chairing a meeting for the creation of a core group for landslide mitigation and to send a detailed project report in this regard to the National Disaster Management Authority, she said most critical landslide spots were near national highways maintained by the Government of India.

She said like earthquake and floods, the risk of landslides could be mitigated through a combination of structural and non-structural measures, adding that the National Disaster Management Authority had sought a detailed project report (DPR) for landslide mitigation from the state. As many as 21 vulnerable sites have been identified.

It was decided in the meeting to constitute a core group with Engineer-in-Chief, PWD, as its member secretary for the preparation of the DPR. The group will have the Director, Geological Survey of India, Chandigarh, as its member. Engineers from the PWD, geologists from the Industries Department and technical experts from the IIT, Mandi, will also be on the panel.

The PWD will be the implementing agency for landslide mitigation with the Geological Survey of India and State Geological Wing as supporting agencies. IIT-Mandi will be the technical support agency for the DPR preparation and landslide mitigation.

It was also decided that two sites would be selected by the PWD for a sample DPR preparation, one from Naina Devi in Bilaspur district and another from Sirmaur district. The department would also identify four to five vulnerable landslide spots in each zone.

Manisha Nanda said the State Disaster Management Authority was planning to take up the landslide mitigation on a large scale for reducing the vulnerability and risk associated with the landslide hazard in the state.