Suggests pre-monsoon slope stabilisation
Abdul Wahab Khan
Panaji: A high-level committee chaired by the North and South Goa district collectors has submitted a detailed report to the state government identifying the causes of recurring landslides in the state and recommending short- and long-term mitigation measures.
The reconstituted committee on landslides, led by North Goa collector Dr Sneha Gitte and South Goa collector Egna Cleetus, submitted its findings in April. The report is under consideration by the Revenue Department.
The report attributed the problem to Goa’s “rugged topography, lateritic soils, and heavy monsoonal precipitation,” worsened by “human activities such as unregulated development and inadequate slope management”.
It said that extreme rainfall events are increasing due to climate change.
The 15-member committee was formed in September 2024, expanding the scope of a 2021 panel that focused only on Sattari taluka. The panel was reconstituted following an increase in landslide incidents across the state, triggered by extreme rainfall, unregulated construction, and slope destabilisation. Revenue Department data shows 58 landslide episodes between 2019 and 2024.
The panel conducted field inspections at 11 critical landslide-prone sites.
The members used physical and drone-assisted surveys, geotechnical testing, and GIS-based mapping.
For short-term action, the committee recommended pre-monsoon slope stabilisation in vulnerable zones, strict enforcement of no-development zones, and geological assessments for all projects before permissions are granted.
It said excavations deeper than 4 metres should not be allowed additional FAR or high-rise approvals, and called for a 100-metre buffer restricting high-rises near landslide-prone areas.
For long-term measures, the report suggested reinforced earth walls in areas such as Mormugao, Fatorda, and along NH66. It also suggested bioengineering using vetiver grass and bamboo.
The committee also recommended a landslide early warning system, taluka-level slope zonation maps, and policy reforms including a ban on construction on slopes steeper than 1:4.
It proposed creating a geotechnical cell within the Town and Country Planning Department, integrating GSI and NDMA guidelines into approvals, and introducing landslide preparedness in the school syllabus.
The panel also identified improper drainage as a major trigger. It suggested comprehensive hillside drainage master plans with natural flow mapping, rainwater harvesting, contour-based channels, and strict maintenance, especially in settlements like Sada, Baina, and Loutolim.
The committee included experts in geology, ecology, engineering, and planning, along with senior officials from the forest, water resources, agriculture, and town planning departments and the Goa State Biodiversity Board.
