Lok Sabha Question No. 271 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-14
Subject: Study on Natural Disasters
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: JANAK RAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION No.*271 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 14, 2018

## STUDY ON NATURAL DISASTERS

## *271. SHRI JANAK RAM:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the government has conducted or purposes to conduct any study regarding the natural disasters like landslide and avalanche occurring almost every year in some parts of the country;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof
- (c) whether any system is existing for identifying such places for the purpose of carrying out preventive measures; and
- (d)
- if so, details thereof ?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (Dr. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (D) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *271 REGARDING 'STUDY ON NATURAL DISASTERS' FOR ANSWER ON 14 TH  MARCH, 2018.

- (a) Yes Madam. Geological Survey of India (GSI) under the Ministry of
- Mines carries out studies on landslides.

Snow And Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), an Institute under the  Defence  Research  and  Development  Organization  (DRDO)  is  a service based laboratory providing avalanche and weather forecasting  over  J&K,  HP  and  Uttarakhand  for  safe  mobility  of troops deployed in snow bound areas. The information on avalanche danger in civilian areas is also passed on to State Disaster Centers as and when required.

- (b) Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been carrying out pre-disaster and post-disaster landslide studies since very long. Being the nodal department  of  landslide  studies  in  India,  it  has  been  undertaking regular annual programmes on varied types of landslide investigations like macro  (1:50,000)  and  meso  scale  (1:15000 /10000)  landslide  investigations,  landslide  susceptibility  zonation, landslide inventory mapping and site-specific landslide investigations. The site-specific landslide investigations (in <1:5000 scale) are mostly of post-disaster phases and are being undertaken at the request of the Road maintaining authorities, Railways, State Governments, Municipalities etc.

All  earlier  studies  on  landslides  (prior  to  2014)  carried  out  in  NW Himalayas (J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand); Maharashtra; southern  parts  of  Western  Ghats  (Kerala,  Tamil  Nadu,  Karnataka and  Goa)  and  Darjeeling/Sikkim  Himalayas  (Darjeeling  and  Sikkim)

have been published as 'Special Publications' of GSI.

Since 2014-15, GSI is carrying out a national programme on National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) to prepare 1:50,000 scale seamless landslide susceptibility maps of the entire landslide prone terrains  (0.42  Million  sq.  km)  in  India.  The  NLSM  maps  along  with landslide  inventory maps are disseminated through the interactive map service portal of GSI known as 'Bhukosh'. GSI also maintains all its information about landslides in its 'Landslide Hazard Studies'

threads of GSI portal (www.gsi.gov.in).

Apart from the above regular items of landslide investigations, GSI has  always  been  deploying  its  workforce  during  any  post-disaster situations  to  study  the  landslides,  its  damages  and  its  related hazards, mainly to assist and help the State Government authorities in restoration/ rehabilitation works. Similar endeavour made by GSI in recent times was after the recent Uttarakhand deluge in 2013.

Based  on  the  data  of  past  years  and  expert  opinion,  SASE  has developed statistical models for prediction of precise avalanches in the Himalayan region.

- (c) Yes. Both GSI and SASE are working on such systems for identifying the areas prone for landslides and avalanches.
- (d) Landslide susceptibility analysis is one such tool which is relevant in  this  direction  and  GSI  has  been  working  on  that  in  a  pan-India platform through its national programme - NLSM. The final product of  NLSM  would  be  seamless  landslide  susceptibility  maps  of  the landslide-prone areas of the country on scale 1:50,000, which -
1. Would predict the spatial locations of future landslide initiation areas.
2. Would help the planners and administrators to frame future land use zoning regulations, taking up non-structure mitigation options and if needed, would help in developing the master plans for future infrastructure development work in mountainous areas.
3. Would help in identifying right resources and areas for prevention and protection measures as well as areas of safe constructions.
4. Would  act  as  the  main  input  maps  to  prepare  landslide  hazard and risk maps which are the ultimate aims to manage landslide related risk in an area.

Landslide Early Warning is another technique through which forecasting as well as early warning mechanisms can be developed to minimise the losses caused by such disaster. This aspect is still under developing stage. GSI, in collaboration with Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL), British Geological Survey and Natural Resources Canada is working on different research projects on this subject.

The site-specific landslide investigations (in <1:5000 scale) provide inputs  for  designing  suitable  structural  mitigation  measures  for containing a landslide or active slope. GSI has been associated with several site specific preventions of landslides in the country.

SASE has established a total no of 56 Snow Met Observatories and 55 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) established by SASE in high altitude areas, data is regularly received from snow observatories at 3 hrs intervals and at 1 hr interval from AWS at SASE. This output and  the  expert  opinion  is  used  to  draw  avalanche  forecast  for different  areas  at  least  24  hrs  in  advance.  Establishment  also developed its own Avalanche map indicating locations of potential avalanche sites located all over the Himalayas and is being used by Troops  for  their  safe  mobility  in  snow  bound  area.  Engineering solutions are also being provided as per the user's requirements.

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