The Uttarakhand Disaster Management Authority (UDMA) has identified 54 landslide prone areas along the Char Dham Yatra route following a detailed study conducted by the Landslide Mitigation and Management Center (LMMC).
The landslide prone areas mentioned in the study include sensitive zones like Pagalnala, Lambagad, Pipalkoti, Patalganga, Birahi, and Joshimath in Chamoli district, and, Devprayag, Kaudiyala, and Tota Ghati in Pauri district.
It has categorised the landslide prone areas into three zones based on the authority responsible for managing the route. While the Rudraprayag to Joshimath zone has 32 such areas and is managed by the Highways Ministry, the Rishikesh to Srinagar route with 17 areas is managed by the Public Works Department and the Joshimath to Badrinath route with five areas is managed by the Border Roads Organisation.
Secretary of Uttarakhand disaster management authority Vinod Kumar Suman told India Today TV that detailed reports are being compiled for each zone and various aspects of landslides will also be addressed.
The investigation, which commenced in October, aims to create a detailed report covering all landslides along the route.
The disaster management authority is using a specialised drone, ‘Nabhanetra’, to monitor high-risk landslide zones. The drone can provide real-time information on landslides. This initiative aims to manage traffic risks effectively during the monsoon season.
