Forecasting landslide in the Western Ghats

Thiruvananthapuram, 
The Hindu,  January 3, 2016

A village-level early warning system based on rainfall threshold data and landslide records could be the most viable method for landslide risk management in the Western Ghats, according to a scientific paper presented at a workshop organised by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies here on Friday.

Presenting the paper, Pankaj Jaiswal from the Geological Survey of India said forecasting of the trigger, in this case the rainfall, could provide information on when landsliding would occur. This, in conjunction with landslide susceptibility maps, could be used to delineate potentially hazardous areas in the Western Ghats and provide early warning.

Dr. Jaiswal proposed the establishment of a threshold model for small river catchments or at the taluk level, along with installation of rain gauges at the village level, collection and dissemination of daily rainfall data and analysis of the data for threshold exceedance. The automated process could be implemented at the village level through panchayats. The paper also proposed public display of the threshold exceedance graph and susceptibility map to facilitate community-based response. Dr. Jaiswal explained how the GSI had modelled the rainfall threshold for the Nilgiri area using rainfall data and landslide records. The cost-effective model was successfully validated in November 2009 and deployed for village-level early warning.

Pointing out that high population density, unplanned settlements, unscientific slope cutting for infrastructure development, and transgress of population to hazardous areas posed a challenge for landslide risk management in areas like the Nilgiris, he said public awareness coupled with early warning could minimise the damage to life and property. Another paper by Kusala Rajendran from the Indian Institute of Science said the low-level seismic activity observed in parts of Kerala like the Wadakkancherry earthquake in 1993 and the couple of earthquakes that struck Pala in 2000 and 2001 were associated with the reactivation of shear zones.

Ms. Rajendran said a strong case of fluid-induced seismicity had been observed at the Idukki reservoir, noted for the low level activity that has decreased since the initial onset, but still persists and is in some ways related to the filling of the reservoir and rainfall in the catchment.

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Development model for Ghats mooted

Thiruvananthapuram,  
The Hindu, January 2, 2016

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Y.S. Chowdary has urged scientists to develop a framework for sustainable development of the Western Ghats, based on a better understanding of the evolution and environmental issues of the region.

Delivering the inaugural address at a two-day workshop organised by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) here on Friday, he stressed the need for scientific studies to understand the role of the Western Ghats as a climate regulator in the Indian subcontinent. He said the rich biodiversity, dense population, and the economic and infrastructure development of the region necessitated a broader understanding of the environmental issues facing the ecologically sensitive region.

Mr. Chowdary urged research institutions like NCESS to set higher targets in research and interact with the government. Underlining the need to utilise the huge talent pool in the country, he said it was time to reverse the brain drain and convert it into a brain gain. He called on the NCESS to seek the support of the State government for the development of the institution and come up with meaningful projects for financial assistance from the Centre.

In his keynote address, Somnath Dasgupta, former Vice Chancellor, Assam University, and chairman, Research Advisory Committee, NCESS, called on scientists to link research programmes with societal issues.

Executive Vice President, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Suresh Das highlighted the need to take up studies on the degradation of the Western Ghats and the loss of biodiversity.

Organised in connection with the foundation day celebrations of the NCESS, the workshop is designed to provide a better understanding of the critical knowledge gaps in the geological evolution, geo-environmental issues, and natural resource management of the Western Ghats for future studies of the region. Scientists from research institutions across the country are delivering the lead talks and presentations.

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