GSI to complete landslide susceptibility mapping in 2018

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is set to complete generation of Landslide Susceptibility Maps - covering an area of 1.71 lakh sq km - by the end of March 2018, that would help in providing an early warning system for landslides in the future, a statement on Wednesday said.

"GSI, by the end of 2017-18, is going to complete generation of Landslide Susceptibility Maps covering an area of about 1.71 lakh sq km out of which, maps covering about 70,000 sq km area have already been uploaded in the GSI portal for public use," a GSI statement said.

In 2014, GSI initiated the national programme - National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM)- on GIS platform with formulation of a six years (2014-2020) perspective plan.

In this interactive GIS based Map service in GSI portal, one can find areas with their relative susceptibility in terms of high, moderate, or low.

"Once the NLSM project is completed, GSI can offer seamless landslide susceptibility maps and landslide inventory maps of the entire landslide-prone areas of India which can be utilised by the architects of disaster management groups and perspective planners," the statement added.

According to GSI, the appropriate utilisation of these products will have immense direct or indirect impact on the lives and properties of about 5-6 crore human population associated with those vulnerable hilly terrains of India.

The project is expected to provide a strong "foundation" towards conceptualising an early warning system for landslides in the near future.

--IANS

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