Taking lessons from Wayanad tragedy Goa to survey 77 landslide-prone spots

PANAJI, Goa: The Wayanad tragedy, where 317 deaths have been confirmed and about 220 others went missing, came as an opener for other states in India like Goa. This devastating incident has led to the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, announcing in the state assembly on Thursday, August 1, that the government will take all measures, including surveying 77 landslide-prone spots in the state, to prevent any such incidents.

CM Sawant was responding to the calling attention motion moved by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao in the assembly. He said that the state government prepared a landslide assessment report for Goa, wherein an inventory of 74 landslide incidents was made. Apart from this, three other landslides occurred in 2021.

Similarly, the Landslide Atlas of India, prepared by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Remote Sensing Centre has placed the North and South Goa districts in the 111th and 121st positions out of the 147 sites featured in the list.

Atanasio Monserratte, Minister for Disaster Management, also spoke in the state assembly, informing that Goa has recorded 15 minor landside incidents in just a few months. 

Speaking about the issue, Minister Monserratte informed about the measures taken by the state government. He stated that no building or development is allowed in ecologically sensitive zones, which include hilly areas, according to information from the Department of Town and Country Planning.