GUWAHATI, April 21 - With the onset of the rainy season and with a view to ensuring safety of citizens from landslides and erosion, the Kamrup Metro district administration has started a survey to identify all the landslide prone and erosion-prone areas in the city.
Sources said that Dr M Angamuthu, Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup Metro, has directed all the circle officers of revenue circles in the district to identify such spots within a week and submit a detailed report.
�They have also been directed to take action to shift families who are residing in such zones to safer locations. The administration will provide all help in this regard to the families concerned,� an official told The Assam Tribune.
District administration sources said that 366 such vulnerable sites had been identified last year by the administration and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Kamrup Metro and a number of measures were taken to ensure that no untoward incidents happened.
�In 2014, a total of 16 persons had lost their lives in greater Guwahati area due to natural calamities like flood and landslide as well as electrocution. But in 2015, no loss of life was reported from anywhere in the city due to precautionary measures like sealing of houses in danger-prone areas and relocation of families residing in threatened localities. Last year, the DDMA of Kamrup Metro conducted more than 65 awareness generation meetings in 19 hillocks of Guwahati. We want to ensure that this year also the rainy season passes off without any incidents,� said an official.
Some of the landslide vulnerable areas include Kailashpur, Odalbakra, Durga Sarovar, Kamakhya Gate, Dakhin Gaon, Sonaighuli, Joypur, Luitpur, Gopal Nagar, Forest Gate, Japorigog, Garbhanga, Lichu Bagan, Dakshin Sarania, Nabagraha, Sunsali, Gotanagar, Maligaon, Lutuma, Pahartoli and Lankeshwar Tiniali.
He said the DDMA conducted awareness programmes on landslide in 10 hillocks covering 6,000 households and one lakh population last year. The 366 vulnerable sites around Guwahati revealed in a survey by the Assam Engineering College, were visited by officials and the people there targeted as part of the campaign.
�This year also we will be conducting similar campaigns, including street plays across the city highlighting threat from landslides and safety aspects. Besides, surveillance teams for monitoring illegal earth cutting and construction are active.
The list of 366 vulnerable sites are with the respective circle officers and surveillance of the vulnerable sites, steps to make inhabitants aware regarding unscientific earth cutting, unscientific construction and the legal implications have been taken up.
Police station level meetings with local citizens� committees in vulnerable localities are also planned.
�Plantation activities have been taken up during the last few months in some such locations in association with the forest department,� he said.
