GSI to soon start issuing operational landslide early warning bulletins for Rudraprayag

Kolkata: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) will soon start issuing operational landslide early warning bulletins for Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand, said Asit Saha Director General of GSI.

The GSI, under the Union Ministry of Mines, marked the first anniversary of the ‘National Landslide Forecasting Centre (NLFC) with a commemorative workshop at Salt Lake.

The event served as a platform to review NLFC’s accomplishments over the past year and to outline a strategic roadmap for strengthening landslide forecasting capabilities across the country.

Saha noted that ongoing research is underway to develop a more robust forecasting model and expert system leveraging artificial intelligence.

Emphasising the importance of institutional synergy and collaborative research, he reiterated GSI’s long-term vision of operationalising a nationwide Regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) by 2030.

NLFC over the past year has expanded its landslide early warning coverage—from 16 districts across 6 states to 21 districts across 8 states in 2025.

Priyanka Singla, Special Secretary of West Bengal State Disaster Management Authority (WBSDMA) emphasised the critical role of inter-agency coordination and technology-driven forecasting in reducing the landslide risks in India’s vulnerable regions.

She acknowledged GSI’s leadership in this domain for the ongoing operational landslide forecasting in Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts of West Bengal and affirmed continued collaboration with NLFC to bolster localised preparedness and integrate scientific forecasts into on-ground disaster response strategies in other hazard prone districts of West Bengal.