Sh. Dushyant Nariala, IAS, Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, West Bengal visited the Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (ICAR-IISWC), Dehradun today on 28.12.2023 and held a consultation on disaster management especially on landslide control and riverbank erosion control.

Dr. M Madhu, Director, IISWC appraised on the activities and interests of the Institute around mass-erosion control technologies approaches developed and demonstrated at various locations of the country, particularly on landslides and, mining area rehabilitation since its inception. He informed that the institute has standing experience on controlling mass erosion problems and rehabilitation, especially through watershed management approach.

Dr. M Muruganandam, Principal Scientist and Head (PME & KM Unit), IISWC, Dehradun shared the importance of river training, riparian zone management and associated biodiversity conservation during different forms of disasters that affect human and natural resources. He informed that various interventions on river training and river bank erosion control invariably improves riverine health and aquatic biodiversity that benefit associated livelihoods and food production systems.

Sh. Nariala, extending an invitation to participate in the forthcoming conference and consultation organized by Disaster Management Department of the West Bengal Government, he called for a stronger collaboration with the Institute on the issues of disaster management.

The consultation emphasized that disasters are becoming increasingly worrisome phenomena that affect extensive areas and regions including West Bengal and Himalaya States of the country and has become a recurring feature affecting human lives and resources in every walk of life. This brings a compulsion to have a wide-range discussion and consultation with diverse professionals, and scientists, besides planners and executives to develop a battery of technologies, strategies and approaches that can be readily applied to minimize occurrence of disasters, and help tackle their impacts and quick aftermath rehabilitation.