Assam Partners with Geological Survey of India for Advanced Landslide Warning System

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) in Assam. The effort aims to reduce the recurring damage caused by landslides through improved prediction and mitigation mechanisms.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has entered into a partnership with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to implement a regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) for combating landslides in the state. The agreement was signed by ASDMA CEO Gyanendra Dev Tripathi and GSI's Deputy Director General, Siladitya Sengupta.

In Assam, landslides often result in significant loss of life and destruction of property. The partnership aims to move beyond ad-hoc response mechanisms currently in place and develop a more cohesive strategy for early warning and risk reduction. The experimental regional LEWS will integrate static landslide susceptibility and hazard maps with rainfall forecasts for improved accuracy.

The initiative will first be rolled out in the Dima Hasao and Cachar districts and is expected to extend across the entire state. Tools like the 'Bhooskhalan' app and the 'Bhusanket' portal will support this system by allowing people to upload landslide incidents, enhancing overall data accuracy and timely intervention.

(With inputs from agencies.)