GUWAHATI: The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a bid to mitigate the recurring threat of landslides in the state.
The MoU was signed by the CEO of ASDMA Gyanendra Dev Tripathi and GSI deputy DG Siladitya Sengupta on Friday.
The agreement is aimed at establishing an experimental Regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) for the state.
This forecast system will be tested for landslides in Assam’s Dima Hasao and Cachar districts and will be implemented in the rest of the state in future.
The hilly terrains of Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, Cachar, Karimganj and Kamrup (Metro) districts of the state have been vulnerable to landslides, resulting in loss of life and property.
The new system will forecast potential landslides and issue early warnings using data from landslide susceptibility and hazard maps, combined with rainfall predictions.
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To enhance landslide management, GSI has launched the “Bhooskhalan” app, enabling citizens to report landslide incidents, and the “Bhusanket” web portal, providing live updates on landslide occurrences nationwide.
Both organizations expressed confidence regarding the project’s capacity to safeguard lives and minimize landslide-induced property damage in the state.
