NIT-C team visits ghat road to assess mudslip situation

Experts from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C), visited the spot on the Wayanad Ghat Road that had experienced a mudslip a few weeks ago, leading to traffic restrictions on the road for a couple of days. The expert team comprised Santhosh G. Thambi, Pradeep Negi, and Anil Kumar, all faculty members of the Department of Civil Engineering, along with research scholar Manu George.

The team collected images of the site of the mudslide and its surrounding areas through a real-time kinematic survey using drones. These will be used to produce 3D images that can help predict the possibility of future mudslips in the region, assess the nature of the land, and carry out impact assessments, Prof. Thambi said.

The team is assessing the likelihood of mudslides in the area in the near future. Preliminary report will be submitted to the District Collector, at whose direction the study is being carried out. The findings will be analysed, and if required, a further study will be conducted using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).

The team was accompanied by Deputy Collector (Disaster Management) M. Rekha, Executive Engineer of PWD (NH section) K.V. Sujeesh, District Soil Conservation Officer M. Rajeev, and hazard analyst P. Ashwathi. The mudslip had occurred near the ninth hairpin curve of the Wayanad Ghat Road on August 26.