Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: In order to tackle any incident of calamity, it is necessary to adopt mitigation and impact minimization strategy through a combination of technical interventions, to build capacities of the locally affected and the ‘likely to be affected’ people to respond to such calamities with responsibilities, said the Secretary (Revenue), & M.S Disaster Management Authority Goa Shri Sandip Jacques, IAS after inaugurating Workshop on “Causes of Landslides, Preventive and Response Measures organized at Secretariat today.
As instructed by the Chairman of the State Disaster Management Authority to ensure preparedness for disasters such as landslides, to evaluate our response mechanisms and to train our teams to deal with such situations, based on the scientifically established protocols and information the workshop plays an important aspect in disseminating the required information to concerned officials.
Explaining about the measures which are required for advance preparedness Shri Jaques said proper mapping and zoning of the vulnerable areas and most importantly, regulating the developmental activities therein and also re-vegetating the denuded areas with requisite density of native trees, surveillance and installation of early warning dissemination systems and the co-ordination of various stakeholders in the reduction of the response time of disaster management teams at the ground level.
Shri Jaques drawing the attention of the participants towards the Report of the Committee emphasized the need to undertake a more rigorous study on various dimensions of Landslides and prepare an inventory and mapping of landslide-prone areas across Goa underscored the need for ‘team-work’. There is definitely a need for convergence and complementary efforts from all the stake-holders and the line departments. Each line department should prepare its own roadmap and find the gaps which we need to address and be prepared for any exigency, including a landslide. I am confident that through this workshop you will have fruitful deliberations and come out with a work plan to kick-start the required actions, he remarked.
The Wayanad landslides in Kerala and the associated problems like flash floods, have made us all realize that, if we fail to prepare, we are indeed preparing to fail and this will neither be affordable nor tolerable, especially now, in view of the available recommendations of this Committee and the proposed way forward. Today, we have with us a team of experts, who had prepared the report on the Sattari Landslides and they will be presenting a scientific perspective from the view point of various areas of expertise, ranging from geology to ecology, including how the economy gets affected on account of a disaster and what are the preventive and mitigation measures that we need to adopt, he said.
Reminding the incident of landslide that occurred in the year 2021, in Satrem in Sattari Taluka he said it was the biggest in Goa’s history. The Satrem landslide site was the largest in extent, followed by Sanvordem site in Caranzol and Maushi in Zarme. Some key impacts that have been highlighted in the Report of the said Committee inter-alia include sediment transfer into water bodies in the catchment areas. There are several causes and impacts which the experts will highlight but the most important thing for us, is to learn from it and prepare the way forward, he opined.
Shri Jacques further said that the main purpose of organizing the workshop is to strengthen the collaboration between various stakeholders and ensure the smooth and timely coordination in pre-disaster, during and post disaster situations including landslides. The Goa SDMA as the apex body for disaster management in the State shall continue such initiatives for other hazards including floods, cyclones, etc, that pose a considerable threat to life and property in the State, especially during the Monsoon Season.
The SDMA and the Government of Goa is committed to implement a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster oriented and technology driven strategy through a culture of prevention, mitigation, providing valuable insights derived from this workshop will help all of us to reveal a effective mechanism to tackle any incident of future disaster in the State. Let’s make the most of this opportunity of such a workshop to learn and to collaborate hereafter for the safety of people of our sate he appealed.
Member Secretary Goa Biodiversity Board Dr. Pradip Sarmukadam in his presentation informed the participants about landslides and related calamities. Associate Professor, Goa State Research Foundation in Dr. Manoj Ibrampurkar explained to the participants about the geological causes of landslides.
Whereas Professor Department of Botany, Goa University Dr. M. K. Janarthanam spoke in detail about the effects of how wrong plantation leads to landslides, Principal Don Bosco Agriculture College enlightened the participants that agriculture is also one of the causes of landslides.
Thereafter the Professor Biodiversity Research Cell, Carmel College Dr. Manoj Borkar in his presentation enlightened the participant about overall effects of in Ecology when calamity like landslide occurs. Director, Fire & Emergency Services Shri Nitin Raikar and Sr. Consultant Goa SDMA Shri Gowhar Jilani both enlightened about Preventive actions and response measures.
The Expert Members of the Landslide Committee, Representatives of Disaster Management Authorities, Officers from all the Line Departments, Mamlatdars of all Talukas attended the workshop
