Road ministry to prioritise slope stabilisation

The ministry of road transport and highways will prioritise slope stabilization before commencement of road construction in hilly terrain to ensure long-term safety and durability, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said.

“Developing climate-resilient road infrastructure in the geologically fragile Himalayan region remains a major challenge due to complex terrain, slope instability and recurring natural disasters, including landslides, cloudbursts and earthquakes,” he said.

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“Sustained efforts are being undertaken through adoption of global best practices and advanced technologies,” minister Gadkari added. He was speaking at the workshop on “Landslide Mitigation Measures for Resilient Hill Roads” on Thursday.

According to the minister, memorandum of understanding (MoUs) has been signed with THDC India for specialized landslide treatment in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, Defence Geo-informatics Research Establishment for geo-hazard mitigation, and Geological Survey of India for geological investigations and data sharing for tunnel and corridor projects.

“The ministry has collaborated with the National Institute of Rock Mechanics on geotechnical scrutiny, design validation, tunnel safety audits, instrumentation monitoring and capacity building,” he added.

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The ministry has asked the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee for developing guidelines on hillslope instability using real-time monitoring systems and has entered into an MoU for deployment of InSAR-based landslide monitoring and early warning systems along a 100-km stretch of the Chardham route in Uttarakhand.

“Extensive topographical surveys using advanced technologies such as LiDAR and UAVs are being undertaken, integrating landslide susceptibility mapping and historical data into DPR preparation,” he added.