LANDSLIDE RISK MITIGATION SCHEME (LRMS)

Why in News?

The Government highlighted State-wise financial assistance and outcomes of the LRMS, along with the approval of a Rs.1000 crore National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project for landslide-prone States.

A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides can be triggered by rain, earthquakes, volcanic activity, or other events that destabilise the slope.

• It is a centrally assisted disaster risk reduction scheme for landslide-prone States.
• It includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

India is among the top 5 landslide-prone countries globally.

• Aim – To enhance disaster preparedness and build the capacity of States to undertake landslide mitigation projects.
• Launched in – 2019.
• Nodal Ministry – The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Implemented by – The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs).
• Objectives –
  • Landslide mitigation.
  • Real-time landslide monitoring.
  • Awareness generation.
  • Capacity building and training.
• Coverage – For the initial phase, it covers 4 landslide vulnerable States, namely Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Uttarakhand.
• Key Components – Activities – Engineering treatments such as retaining walls, rock anchoring/netting, drainage/culverts.
• Capacity Building – NDMA-led professional trainings (5-day/2-day) with IITs, IISc, NITs, etc.
• Innovation – Development of low-cost landslide monitoring & Early Warning System.
• It uses micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based sensor technology, solar power and AI-based prediction.
• Policy Linkages – Aligned with NDMA Guidelines on Management of Landslides & Snow Avalanches (2009) and National Disaster Management Plan.
• Significance – Provides targeted financial assistance to highly vulnerable Himalayan and North-Eastern States.
• States gain technical know-how, trained manpower and replicable models for future landslide mitigation projects.

References

1. PIB | landslide risk mitigation scheme
2. Landslide risk mitigation scheme