Guwahati, August 17: In a significant move, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday to implement an Experimental Regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS).
The MoU aims to establish institutional cooperation and implement an experimental Regional Early Warning Forecast system for landslides in Dima Hasao and Cachar districts, with plans to expand to the entire state.
Landslides have been a recurring problem in Assam’s hilly terrains, resulting in loss of lives and damage to infrastructure. The current ad-hoc response mechanisms have been insufficient, highlighting the need for a comprehensive solution.
The LEWS will utilize static landslide susceptibility and hazard maps, dynamic rainfall forecasts, and other inputs to predict and mitigate landslides. This system has the potential to revolutionize landslide risk reduction in Assam.
GSI has launched the “Bhooskhalan” App, allowing citizens, institutions, and government agencies to report landslide incidents in their areas. This crowdsourcing initiative will enhance the efficiency of predicting and mitigating disasters.
The MoU was signed by Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, CEO, ASDMA, and Siladitya Sengupta, Deputy Director General, SU: Assam, GSI, marking a significant step towards disaster resilience in Assam.
