Arunachal landslide study revives demand for mountain-specific building standards

A review of landslide risks across Arunachal Pradesh’s most vulnerable transport corridors has prompted fresh calls for India to adopt terrain-specific building standards for its mountain regions.

During a technical interaction this week, the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS), led by Director Tana Tage, met Dr Pinom Ering of IIT Bombay to examine shortcomings in current early-warning capabilities and construction norms in high-hazard zones.

Dr Ering, a geotechnical engineering specialist and member of the National Building Code committee, discussed options with CESHS scientists to upgrade landslide early-warning systems using field-based instrumentation. Proposed measures include piezometers, extensometers, Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves and drone-enabled Ground Penetrating Radar, supported by AI and machine-learning models. Researchers said such a framework could provide a physics-based system capable of offering timely alerts across critical routes.

The meeting also highlighted the absence of Indian Standard Codes tailored for construction in complex mountainous terrain — a gap that engineers say poses significant risks in a geologically fragile and highly seismic state. CESHS officials stated that collaboration with national institutions such as IIT Bombay could help shape both the scientific tools and regulatory approaches needed to reduce disaster vulnerability in the region.