A ‘green’ solution to prevent landslips in the Nilgiris
The State Highways Department is undertaking the stabilisation of slopes around major roads in the Nilgiris at ve locations by growing grasses to prevent soil erosion.
The project, known as ‘slope stabilisation using soil nailing and hydroseeding method’, was being undertaken in Ketti, Kattabettu, Perar, Kudah and Udhagamandalam, o cials said.
The ve locations were chosen for being prone to landslips. According to o cials, the soil had to be tested along the slopes for their suitability before the project was undertaken.
“Soil nailing is a geotechnical engineering technique that involves the insertion of reinforcing elements into the soil in a speci ed area to strengthen it,” an o cial from the State Highways Department said.
Strengthening soil Following the strengthening of the slope, ‘hydroseeding’ — the process of applying a mixture of seeds, fertilizer, organic materials and water on to the soil to facilitate the growth of grass and plant life — would be undertaken to help hold the top soil together and prevent erosion.
An o cial said that around ve species of grass, including a few native to India, would be grown along the slopes. The Highways Department would take up the maintenance of the grasses once hydroseeding was completed, o cials said, adding that this method of preventing landslips would help in mitigating the impact of linear infrastructure such as roads in the Nilgiris.
It is being undertaken in Ketti, Kattabettu, Perar, Kudah and Udhagamandalam