Two landslide early warning systems installed in Kinnaur

Shimla, April 10

Following frequent landslides, early warning and land monitoring systems, which will send signals about the landslide activity in advance, have been installed at Batseri and Nigulseri in Kinnaur district.

Sensors have been installed at the top of the mountains and as soon as there is any movement on the ground, the information will reach the district disaster centre and the panchayat concerned. A red light will blink on a pole erected on the road and an alert be sounded. Drivers and pedestrians will be cautioned about the danger.

The system, installed by the IIT Mandi, will be helpful in preventing loss of life, besides avoiding disaster, as early information of the slide movement will be available, said Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq. He said the system would be installed in six most sensitive and vulnerable sites, including Pagal Nullah and Malling Nullah.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the IIT to install six systems at Rs 23 lakh and a team of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) is surveying the vulnerable points.

On an average, 40-50 landslides are witnessed in Kinnaur every year. Last year, nine tourists were killed in a shooting stone incident in Batseri while 28 persons were killed in a landslide near Nigulsari.

Will sense ground movement

• Sensors have been installed at the top of the mountains
• As soon as there is any movement on the ground, the information will reach the district disaster centre and the panchayat concerned
• A red light will blink on a pole erected on the road and an alert be sounded
• Drivers and pedestrians will be cautioned about the danger (landslide).