Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) & Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost collaboration in the field of technical exchange & cooperation on sustainable Geo-hazard management.
i.The main objective behind the Agreement is to ensure the safety of road users on National Highways(NHs) in India against adverse effects of landslides & other natural calamities.
ii.It was signed by Giridhar Aramane, Secretary of MoRTH & Satheesh Reddy, Secretary of DRDO.
iii.They will cooperate in areas of
- Conceptual planning of Integrated avalanche/landslide protection schemes for all weather connectivity in snow bound areas of India
- Pre-Feasibility of Tunnels and viaducts
- Planning & Designing of avalanche, landslide control structures
- Collaborate in preparing proposals, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for tunnels which includes geological/geotechnical/terrain modeling and other aspects
iv.Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment (DGRE), a lab of DRDO & MoRTH will use the expertise of DRDO (through DGRE) to provide sustainable measures to mitigate damages caused by landslides, avalanche on various NHs in India. They will collaborate under the areas of
- In-depth investigation of avalanches, landslides, slope instability & sinking problems.
- Planning, design and formulation of measures to mitigate impact of geo-hazards on NHs including tunnels.
- They will also monitor the implementation of the mitigation measures.
v.DGRE is responsible for mapping, forecasting, monitoring, control and reduction of impact of landslides & avalanches in Himalayan Terrain.
Recent Related News:
i.On December 9, 2020, the MoRTH signed a MoU with the Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Austria on Technology Cooperation in the Road Infrastructure Sector.
About Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH):
Union Minister – Nitin Gadkari
Minister of State – V K Singh
