GSI identifies 225 villages in 4 districts of Maharashtra as villages vulnerable to landslide hazards

Mumbai : Geological Survey of India (GSI) has identified 225 villages (103- Raigad, 45- Ratnagiri, 72-Pune & 05-Thane) vulnerable to landslide hazard. They have been grouped in four classes of vulnerability. Out of these, 47 villages are found to be most vulnerable to landslide. Identification of vulnerable inhabited hill slopes/locations in Mumbai Urban Agglomeration was undertaken at the request of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). A total of 74 such sites that has moderate to dense habitations were identified and classified under five classes of vulnerability. Out of these, 46 inhabited locations have been found to be most vulnerable to landslide hazard. The result is the outcome of the two projects taken up by GSI during 2015-18 for identification of vulnerable inhabited slopes in parts of Raigad, Ratnagiri. Pune & Thane districts; and Identification and preliminary assessment of vulnerable/ risky inhabited hill slopes in parts of Mumbai Urban Agglomeration. The relevant reports have been shared with the concerned district authorities.

Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been carrying out systematic studies of landslides in the Western Ghats since 1980. These studies can be classified into Pre-Disaster studies, which include landslide susceptibility/hazard zonation mapping on various scales, i.e., macro-scale (1:50,000/25,000), meso-scale (1:10,000) and micro-scale (<1:5000), and Post-Disaster studies, which include detailed site-specific studies of landslides to determine the causes responsible for the failure and to suggest remedial measures required to stabilize the slopes. Post-Disaster studies also include landslide inventory mapping and preliminary investigation after occurrence of any major landslide.

Under the National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping programme (NLSM), Landslide Susceptibility map of approx 28,000 sq. Km area covering the hilly region of Maharashtra is to be completed by 2020. Till March 2019, 21,500 sq. km area (approximately) has been completed wherein nearly 800 sq.km area falls under high susceptible zone followed by 7,713 sq.km in moderate susceptible zone. Landslide susceptibility mapping of 14,500 sq. km area (approximately) of Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri have been completed and are made available on the Bhukosh section of the GSI official portal. Another 10,000 sq.km data would be made available by March 2020.