Uttarakhand prone to natural disasters: CM

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 28

Chief Minister Harish Rawat today said Uttarakhand was sensitive to natural calamities such as cloudbursts, quakes, floods and forest fires and thus required proper disaster management efforts.

He was addressing the inaugural session of a three-day international workshop “Tackling the challenge of slope stabilisation and landslide prevention” held here. He said Uttarakhand was prone to disasters and thus any reconstruction activity post-2013 natural disaster should be done in a proper manner.

The Chief Minister said landslides were most common occurrences in Uttarakhand and a study had revealed two landslides taking place in every one square kilometre of the hill area of the state during rains. He added better techniques were required for the construction of roads and bridges. All the houses being constructed under the Uttarakhand Disaster Recovery Project should be earthquake proof.

The Chief Minister said the issue of slope stabilisation required a debate in order to ensure that damages caused due to landslides were minimum. Slope stabilisation techniques used in other countries must be studied. He added 43 highly sensitive landslide-prone zones had been identified in the state, which needed immediate treatment.

He said Sirobagad, Saknidhar and Lamabagad areas of Uttarakhand were prone to frequent landslides and should be treated with the best of techniques. Uttarakhand Disaster Management secretary Amit Negi, Additional Secretary Dilip Jawalkar and disaster management experts were present on the occasion. The State Disaster Management Authority in collaboration with World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) organised the seminar.