Landslide Disaster Management

Abstract

Landslide is one of the most common disasters in India. It is recurring in nature and brings misfortune, especially to the people living in Himalayan region in India. This causes extensive damages to the infrastructures and establishments year after year resulting in immense losses of life and property. Keeping in view of the importance of landslide studies, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, which is coordinating R&D activities related to landslide disaster mitigation, has funded many projects to academic institutions, universities, and research laboratories for carrying out landslide studies covering most of its aspects on regional to microscales. DST also helped the research organization to build up the laboratory and facilities for landslide investigation and dissemination of knowledge to the planners and local people. Deployment of deep-earth sensor probes for landslide detection in Munnar, Kerala; monitoring of rainfall-induced landslide in Ooty, Tamil Nadu; development of early warning system for landslide located in Jhakri near Rampur (Himachal Pradesh) are the few ambitious programs initiated by DST.