Soil Conservation-IITG pact to fight landslide

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, June 16: The State Soil Conservation Department has gone for some innovative ways to fight landslide in the city. It has gone for a tie-up with IIT-Guwahati to make that happen.
To arrest the mece of landslide from the 15 hills in and around Guwahati, the Department has gone for an agreement with the Civil Engineering Department of IIT Guwahati, headed by Arup Sharma. The department hopes to tackle landslide in the city within this year.  
"All the hills in and around the city are vulnerable to landslides. Geetangar, Hengrabari, Sunsali and Kalapahar hills are the most vulnerable ones. A process has been initiated to identify the vulnerable areas in the city hills," State Soil Conservation Director S Choudhury said, and added: "Continuous landslides in the city hills have created some channels through which loose earth continues to flow downhill during heavy downpour. To tackle the mece, we need to make people residing on hills aware of the ill effects of earth cutting and felling of trees and shrubs. The modus operandi we've adopted is putting in place staggered blocks on hill slopes and on channels to reduce the downhill flow of water, so also siltation. Jute matting on the surface of soil is an innovative way to check landslide. Jute matting gets decomposed with the soil and prevents soil from being eroded. Flowering plants will be planted piercing the matting. The fruits, on the other hand, help people living on the hills, economically. Guard walls will also be erected on steep slopes to prevent landslide."
Rs. 3 crore is likely to be spent in this initiative. A DPR is likely to be prepared by the department soon. A power-point presentation of the initiative would be shown to the Chief Minister. Choudhury pointed out that the problem of flash floods in the city would have to be tackled with the help of all the departments concerned.