Latest News | Landslide Incidents Not Related to Hydro Power Projects: Study

New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) Landslide incidents in the vicinity of hydro projects are not related to the commissioned/under-construction hydropower projects, according to a study.

Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun, has carried out a study on the incidents of landslides in the vicinity of hydro projects and has prepared a report on Landslide Studies in Commissioned / Under Construction Hydro Projects utilizing Remote Sensing & GIS Technology, a power ministry statement said.

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IIRS carried out the study in nine NHPC power stations/projects, which include Subansiri Lower in Arunachal Pradesh, Teesta-V & Rangit in Sikkim, Salal, Dulhasti & Uri-II in J&K, Chamera-I & Parbat-II in Himachal Pradesh and Dhauliganga in Uttarakhand.

The study undertook the preparation of Landslide Inventory maps 10 years before the start of construction of the project up to the current status of the project/ power station.

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It also highlights that in most cases, the landslide area decreased considerably in comparison to the landslide area observed before the construction of the project.

The study revealed that landslide activities around hydropower projects are not related to the construction activity of the project, and the topography, geological conditions and rainfall have been found to be the major causative/ triggering factors of landslide activities.

According to the report, it appears from the temporal statistics that in most cases, the construction of hydropower projects and related activities and post-commissioning hydrological condition might have helped in stabilizing the area.

Further, it stated that the size of hydropower projects, the size of the reservoir, local geology, and soil and land cover conditions (especially vegetation cover) seem to play some slope stabilisation role in mitigating landslides in the project areas.

The report was prepared with the help of satellite image-based interpretation, subject to the resolution and availability of satellite images.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)