IIT Mandi, NDMA Jointly Organise Landslide Training Programme

IIT Mandi in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) conducted a five-day training programme on 'Landslide Mitigation and Detailed Project Report Preparation' recently. The training programme aimed at creating awareness about the potential hazards and the various risk mitigation measures for landslides by explaining the fundamental concepts of slope stability and assisting the participants in Detailed Project Report preparation.

International expert, Vikas Thakur, Head of the Civil Engineering Department, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway conducted informative sessions on causes of landslides and their mitigation. Speaking on risk assessment and mitigations measures followed in Norway, he said, “There is a need for such studies in India.”

"Landslide hazards are mostly unavoidable, landslide disasters are not," he added while emphasizing on the necessity to reduce losses whether to human by enforcing early warning systems in the country.

30 participants working as General Managers, Educators, Engineers, Administrators, and Geologists in various government departments of the country were nominated for the training with the purpose of making detailed project reports for landslide mitigation in selected areas spread across India. The participants visited Kotropi landslide, Paddar, Mandi District to get the feel of landslide of huge magnitude and the realization and possibility to have problems associated with such soil failure. 

Key speakers discussed topics of significance in this training programme:

• Coordinator of the course, Dr. Uday Kala, Asst Prof., School of Engineering, IIT Mandi, highlighted the importance of site investigation and installation of proper drainage systems in the field to reduce stresses on the soil. He emphasised on the need of having a multi-dimensional approach in dealing with a multifaceted problem like landslides. He also discussed the possible mitigation measures at the site level and their adaptability for different site conditions.
• Dr Varun Dutt, Associate Prof, School of computing and electrical engineering, has introduced the early warning component of landslide mitigation and showcased the low-cost sensors development at IIT Mandi which is installed over 15 locations in Mandi district. He also enumerated the need for machine learning and its importance in predicting the landslide and its fatality before time. 
• Dr Mousumi Mukherjee discussed on the rock slope stability issues and the methods to analyse and mitigate such failures. 
• Dr Deepak Swami highlighted the role of groundwater on the chances of landslides and discussed the methods to detect and improve groundwater regime in soils with aspects of controlling landslides with exfiltration of pore waters in the ground.

At the valedictory programme, the chief guest Deputy Commissioner Mandi, Rugved M Thakur, IAS, interacted with the participants and asked them to work collectively for the development of nation. He emphasized the need for such workshops in the development of DPRs and encouraged the participants in making more DPR with good quality and quantity. He also informed, "The district administration with support from the state is now working towards disaster mitigation.”

Participants expressed their gratitude for such a training programme and appreciated the efforts made by IIT Mandi on tackling the disasters in the state.