Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 30 Aug: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is poised to implement an early warning system for landslides across four highly vulnerable districts of Uttarakhand, namely Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, and Tehri, as part of a focused initiative to mitigate disaster risk in the region. Trials of the system are presently underway, and once successfully tested, the mechanism will be installed to provide timely alerts that can help minimise damages arising from sudden landslip events. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the GSI and Disaster Management Department.
Director of GSI Dehradun, Ravi Negi, has confirmed the selection of these districts on account of their severe susceptibility to landslides. Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, has emphasised that the planned early warning system will enable response and protective measures to be executed with greater speed and efficacy. Suman explained that the MoU would pave the way for more streamlined sharing of studies and data between the two agencies, and would further strengthen Uttarakhand’s preparedness against landslide hazards. He stressed on the importance of communicating research findings in clear, accessible language to ensure that communities are fully aware of preventive strategies and that forecast alerts offer sufficient advance notice for the adoption of safety protocols. His remarks were made at a workshop on landslide disaster risk reduction, convened with experts at a hotel on Haridwar Bypass Road, with the objective of bolstering public awareness and disaster response through scientific methods and sound governance.
During the session, the imperative of learning preventive approaches to landslide management was underscored by Shovan Lal from IIRS, who noted the usefulness of satellite, drone, and other emerging technologies for enhancing risk assessment. He cautioned that even zones that appear tranquil yet are historically sensitive must be subject to continuous monitoring. Additional insights were provided by GSI Deputy Director General Sanjeev Kumar and Harish Bahuguna, who highlighted rainfall as the predominant trigger for landslides in Uttarakhand, with Chamoli district recording the highest frequency of such incidents, followed closely by Bageshwar. Dr Bahuguna shared updates on the current network of all-weather stations and underlined the necessity for augmenting their coverage to expand real-time forecasting.
The workshop was inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor Prof Surekha Dangwal and presided over by GSI Additional Director General Rajendra Kumar, with attendance from GSI Deputy Director General CD Singh, geologist Devendra Singh, as well as participants from the Wadia Institute, CBRI, and representatives of twenty-eight other organisations.
