Rubber Research body uses satellite derived maps to delineate rubber plantations

The Rubber Study Institute of India has efficiently delineated rubber plantations into minimal, medium and higher landslide danger types applying satellite-derived maps of the distribution of rubber plantations and the district-clever landslide susceptibility zones designed by the Kerala Condition Disaster Administration Authority.

These landslide inclined zones were being ready by integrating various databases like topographical maps, distant sensing facts, ground real truth and geo-complex investigations. The landslide zones were being analysed geo-spatially with satellite-derived rubber plantation maps.

“We can advise growers to undertake good agricultural methods at a area in accordance to its vulnerability to landslides as well as cultural operations that should really not be undertaken to minimise the effects of landslides”, the officers mentioned.

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Kerala is characterised by hilly and undulating terrains with tropical monsoon climate. Brought on by weighty rainfall, the hilly regions of the Condition witnessed two large landslides causing a lot of human casualties and significant damages to the ecosystem and properties in the past few of yrs.

Very intensive rainfall can destabilise hilly terrains exactly where pure rubber is a popular crop amid some others. Occupying additional than 22 for each cent of the gross cropped space of the Condition, pure rubber plantations are primarily grown on the undulating and sloping terrains of together the foothills of Western Ghats which are ever more getting to be susceptible to landslides.

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Landslide is a pure catastrophe that can not be predicted with any diploma of complete certainty. But science-based mostly precautions can empower community communities to keep on being vigilant, lowering the danger of occurrence of a landslide and its effects on folks and house if it comes about, the officers mentioned.

Weather adjust has altered the rainfall sample in the Condition and severe temperature gatherings this sort of as tropical cyclones, weighty rainfall and floods have grow to be additional regular and intensive which can potentially increase the incidence of landslides in upcoming.