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A Core Group has been constituted in the Ministry of Home Affairs to draw up a strategy and plan of action for mitigating the impact of landslides, provide advice and guidance to the State Governments on various aspects of landslide mitigation, monitor the activities relating to landslide mitigation including landslide hazard zonation and to evolve early warning systems and protocols for landslides. This was announced by the Home Minister, Shri Shivraj Patil while inaugurating a workshop on "Developing Landslide Hazard Mitigation Strategy", here today. The one-day workshop has been jointly organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Coal & Mines.
Shri Patil stated that despite the fact that landslides occur every year causing loss to lives and property, there was no nodal agency for landslide hazard mitigation in the country. Keeping in view the magnitude and frequency of the hazard, the Government has decided to designate the Geological Survey of India as the nodal agency which would be responsible for co-ordinating / undertaking geological studies, landslides hazard zonation, monitoring landslides / avalanches, study the factors responsible and suggest precautionary and preventive measures. It will work with other agencies in the field such as Department of Science & Technology, Central Road Research Institute, Central Building Research Institute, National Remote Sensing Agency, academic institutions like IIT, Roorkee, IIT, Delhi, IIT, Powai and other universities.
Earlier in his address, the Minister of State for Coal & Mines, Dr. Dasari Narayana Rao stressed on adequate pre-disaster preventive measures so that the loss of life and property due to landslides may be minimized. He outlined the GSI's century old involvement in studying landslide hazards and said that the organisation has mapped nearly 12,000 sq. kms. of sensitive areas and an inventory of 700 site-specific landslides have been prepared. It has more than 11,000 dedicated work force spread over difficult areas of India and abroad. With its experience in the field for more than 150 years, it has been rightly designated the Nodal Agency for landslide studies, he said. The Minister hoped that deliberations in the workshop would evolve strategies to address landslide related issues and help formulate a time-bound action plan.
The Mines Secretary, Shri C.D. Arha, the Secretary (BM), Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri A.K. Rastogi, the Director-General, Geological Survey of India, Dr. K.N. Mathur and Joint Secretary (DM), Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri R.K. Singh also spoke on the occasion.
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