DEHRADUN: After the Uttarakhand cabinet recently gave approval to set up a Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre in the state, claimed to be the first-of-its-kind in the country, the proposal has drawn flak from geologists, who feel that they have been under-represented in a largely "engineer-driven" body.
The proposed centre would come up with long-term strategies and immediate steps to prevent landslides or minimise the damage caused by them in the Himalayan state, which witnesses over 50 minor or major landslides every year, causing loss of life and recurring economic losses.
'Proposed landslide mitigation centre too engineer-driven'
Between 2018 and 2021, 127 people died in Uttarakhand in 250 odd landslide-related incidents.
To be set up as an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, the centre will not only identify chronic landslide zones across Uttarakhand but will also undertake mitigation steps.
Jitendra Kumar Sonkar, additional secretary, disaster management department, told TOI, "We are aiming to develop it as a 'centre of excellence' which will take up research work, detailed scientific investigation of landslide incidents, suggesting and taking mitigating measures."
As per the proposed structure, the centre will have 75 staff members belonging to administrative, technical and non-technical cadre. Out of the total sanctioned posts, 23 will be filled on deputation and the rest on a contractual basis, according to the budget demand proposal.
However, the suggested work structure of the upcoming centre is being slammed by a section of experts, who feel the government's proposal is too "engineer-driven" and ignores geologists, who play a pivotal role in landslide modelling, stability analysis and design of landslide mitigation, which is the primary role of the proposed centre as well.
Of the 23 regular posts to be filled through deputation, at least 12 are reserved for engineers, while only three are for geologists - two senior geologists on a monthly salary of Rs 1.10 lakh each and one junior geologist on a salary of Rs 80,000 per month.
On the other hand, there are four posts for assistant engineers, four for executive engineers, one for superintending engineer and three posts for principal consultants who would act as technical heads of the zone/project/task. Besides, two posts have been reserved for hydrologists, two posts for IT experts, one for procurement expert and another for a chief consultant, among others.
