EFFICIENT DISASTER MANAGEMENT REQUIRES CATERING FOR LANDSLIDES & AVALANCHES AT THE INITIAL STAGE FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION

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Protection against landslides and avalanches should be planned right at the time of planning and finalizing any road alignment says Director Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment Maj Gen (Retd) S S Sharma. Delivering a key note address at one day seminar on disaster management with specific reference to landslide and avalanches in New Delhi today, he said pro-active planning to eliminate the landslide and avalanches should be done right in the initial stages. He said proper attention should also be paid for designing effective drainage of water on the road.

He also called for mass scale afforestation of the areas prone to land slides and identification of areas where the deforestation has taken place. Major General Sharma said earth movement at remote places prone to land slides should be identified by collecting the data through satellite link. For the moisture measurement of weather elements automatic weather stations be installed at sensitive places. He said for slope stabilization latest techniques of soil stabilization, terracing, geo-fabric, grouting etc should be used.

Major Gen Sharma said that minimum quantity of explosives should be used in order to ensure minimum vibration of the neighbouring strata.

The seminar was inaugurated by Dr. VK Aatre, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister. During the Technical Session 17 papers on land slides and 8 papers on avalanches were presented by different experts on the subject. The one day seminar was organized by the Border Roads Organisation.