By Staff Reporter

ITANAGAR, Jan. 29: A workshop on Micro-zonation of Landslide and Earthquake hazards in Arunachal Pradesh was organized by the State Remote Sensing Application Centre (SRSAC), Itanagar in collaboration with Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India at the Arunachal Pradesh Science Centre, Itanagar here today. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister, Dorjee Khandu, while extending his thankfulness to visiting scientist, appreciated their live saving endeavors. Exhorting the people to save flora and fauna, he said that due to manmade disturbances like deforestation, natural hazards like landslide and floods occur. Expressing concern over mushrooming of unplanned buildings and speedy constructions in the capital city, Khandu said that the government will soon initiate strict building regulations to mitigate future earthquake related disasters. Taking exception to Jhum cultivation, due to which large forest areas are being destroyed every year, he appealed the people to avoid Jhum cultivation and suggested the people to start permanent farming system on a particular field. To assist farmers to start permanent cultivation, Khandu informed that the state government is submitting a proposal to Union Government, and if the proposal gets materialized the farmers will get free fencing wires and other requirements, he added. He also emphasized on proper drainage system in the city to mitigate frequent choking of drains and streams which results in frequent floods.

“Rehabilitation, relief and rescue is not enough to tackle the natural hazards but we need a proper strategy and planning to avert its affects” observed Professor S.K Nath, IIT Kharagpur, while presenting a detailed assessment of earthquake hazard in cities across India using Microzonation method. Explaining the possibilities of destructions of earthquake in the state which comes under Zone-V five of Seismic Zone, Prof. Nath emphasized on Seismic Micro-zonation to mitigate probable future natural hazards. “We have to safeguard this beautiful state by reducing the catastrophic affects with proper plannings” added Prof. Nath. SRSAC, Director, Dr. G.Ch. Chennaiah, apprised on various steps undertaken in the state to mitigate natural hazards. Through a PowerPoint presentation he highlighted the methods of disaster management to reduce the affects of natural hazards like earthquake, flood and landslide. “Though we cannot prevent the natural hazards but it can be mitigated up to some extent with  proper planning” said Dr. Chennaiah. While emphasizing the requirements of Seismic Micro-zonation project in the state for disaster management related to natural hazards, he hoped that the discussion of resource persons would bring fruitful result.

Parliamentary Secretary for IT, Science and Technology, Jomde Kena also emphasized on need for proper disaster management and awareness among people to tackle catastrophic hazards in the state. Seismic Micro-zonation is a process of subdividing a potential seismic or earthquake prone area into zones with respect to some geological and geophysical characteristics of the sites such as ground shaking, liquefaction susceptibility, landslide and rock fall hazard, earthquake-related flooding, so that seismic hazards at different locations within the area can correctly be identified. Microzonation provides the basis for site-specific risk analysis, which can assist in the mitigation of earthquake damages.

Altogether 9 scientists from across the country are attending the programme as resource persons to discuss on methodology to mitigate the natural catastrophic like earthquake, flood and landslide through Seismic Micro-zonation process.  The workshop was attended among others by Finance Minister  Setong Sena,  Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Takar Marde, and participants from districts and other officials.