The status of landslides and other natural hazards, identification of major landslide prone zones and preparedness for mitigating these in vulnerable areas of Himachal was deliberated during an interactive meet held here on Monday.
A contact programme for the stakeholder departments on landslide Risk Mitigation in Himachal Pradesh was organised here by State Revenue department and the HP State Centre on Climate Change of the State Council of Science Technology and Environment (SCSTE) in technical collaboration with the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
Special Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, DD Sharma, who was chief guest on the occasion stressed to prepare minimum standards for landslides, avalanches, data base, inventories, hazard zonation mapping investigation and management.
He said that there was need to use state-of-art technologies in assessment, prevention, mitigation, monitoring, warning and preparedness which were lacking in Indian context.
He also underlined the need to shift from tradition attitude to proactive continuum risk management besides ensuring proper use of scientifically prepared hazard and risk zonation maps and development of sites or projects.
Sharma said landslip was the most common disaster in the State which causes immense losses to life, livelihood and property. The rapid growth of development activities like road construction, hydro power projects and other infrastructural development were mainly responsible for degradation of environment as these activities involve excavation, blasting, tunneling and RCC works etc.
He said that the losses were rising due to increased occupation on susceptible slopes and unscientific haphazard development without due consideration to landslides risk management.
Sharma also stressed the need to bridge gaps in information, data basis, maps, methodologies, techniques and technologies in these fields. The major thrust area should be mainstreaming the disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in our developmental programme and policies.
He was of the view that significant reduction of risk could be achieved by preventing or minimizing the exposure of the people through land use and developmental regulations.
He informed the National Disaster Management Authority had asked the states for preparing detailed project reports where funds up to Rs 15 crore could be spent in lessening the effect of landslides on 80:20 sharing basis.
Joint Member Secretary , SCSTE, Dr HK Gupta said this interaction meet was organized on the direction of the Government of India to generate awareness and preparedness for mitigating the landslides risk in the state in collaboration with GSI as nodal agency.
The main focus of the meet was to deliberate on work done by GSI on landslides in the Indian Himalayan Region with special to reference of Himachal Pradesh and its recommendations for the state based on the studies carried out, said he.
During the meet, Director, GSI BM Gairola in his presentation on role and function of GSI said it was working for creating mass awareness amongst the stakeholders to mitigate the natural disasters. He said that many areas of the State were vulnerable to landslips and other natural disasters and there was urgent need to take effective steps to avoid loss to human lives and property.
Senior Scientific Officer, HP State Centre on Climate Change Dr SS Randhawa gave detailed presentation on hazards vulnerability of Himachal Pradesh. He said few districts of the state were highly prone to earthquake as they fall under seismic zone-V. He added that the department was regularly organising training camp for the official’s concerned and general public to make them aware about the possible risks of earthquake, landslips, flash floods, snow avalanches etc.