Landslip warning system in Munnar leading the way for people and authorities

Installed at Anthoniar Colony near Munnar in Idukki, this system aids the district administration in preventing accidents in the densely-populated areas of the Munnar hill station. Officials report that the system was established in 2009 after a landslip claimed four lives in the colony.

Maneesha V. Ramesh, Provost and Director of the Amrita Centre for Wireless Networks & Applications in Kollam, detailed that the Internet of Things (IoT)-based system includes over 150 geological sensors and more than six Intelligent Wireless Probes (IWPs) across six different locations. These sensors monitor the site, collecting and transmitting data around the clock since 2009. “Alerts are generated based on dynamic risk assessments from the data received by our system in Anthoniar Colony. The system features various sensors, such as a rain gauge, moisture sensor, pore pressure sensor, inclinometer, and geophones, which clearly indicate when rainfall and pore pressure thresholds are exceeded,” Dr. Ramesh explained.

Dr. Ramesh highlighted the significance of early warned landslips in the area. “A total of 27 landslips happened in the Munnar region in July alone. We issue first- and second-level warnings to officials about these landslips. The system provides precise and timely data from Anthoniar Colony,” she said.

Dr. Ramesh proposed that installing a similar system on the Gap Road stretch in Munnar could help prevent recurring landslip incidents.

Jacqueline Mary B., a resident of Anthoniar Colony and Block panchayat member in Devikulam, said that a landslip claimed four lives, including a child, on July 25, 2005. “No landslip accidents were reported in the colony ever since installing the warning system. The people in the colony receive timely warnings from district administration officials and move to relief camps,” said Ms. Mary.

Devikulam Sub-Collector V.M. Jayakrishnan confirmed that timely alerts are issued to the District Collector, Sub-Collector, and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) regarding potential landslips and mudslides in Munnar. “The alerts are invaluable, and the district administration was able to evacuate residents from the colony within an hour of receiving the alerts,” said Mr. Jayakrishnan.

He also confirmed plans to establish a landslide alert system modelled after the one in Anthoniar Colony on the Gap Road stretch, which faces severe landslide risks every rainy season. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that the landslip detection system for this stretch is still in the planning stages. Following the frequent landslips reported last year, NHAI aimed to install a cost-effective detection system on the Gap Road stretch to ensure timely warnings to authorities.