Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Geological experts are all set to start work on a project, during the current fiscal year, to compile data of the country’s ‘active faults’ and potential landslide ‘hotspot’ zones that would prove to be a major step towards the disaster risk reduction activities.

The project would be completed at a cost of Rs 412.769 million in three years, for which the government has allocated Rs 40 million under the Public Sector Development Programme 2021-22, according to an official document available with APP.

It is one of the six new projects the Petroleum Division planned to execute during the fiscal year 2021-22.

The main focus of the project titled “Pakistan National Research Programme on Geological Hazards (Earthquakes and Landslides) – Data Acquisition along Active Faults and Identification of Potential Landslides Hotspot Zones,” is to identify the earthquake prone areas and landslide hotspots in the country.

Besides, the establishment of a new network of Globe Navigation Satellite Stations (GNSS – permanent as well as periodic) and a countrywide landslide inventory database would be carried out.

“The outcome will lay a solid foundation for a reliable hazard assessment and hazard zonation related to earthquakes and landslides. It will also pave the way for more detailed hazard assessment studies specific to particular areas.

During the first year of the project, the departments concerned would fill the posts by assignments from regular strength, purchase durable goods, establish the project office, collect and review technical data.

In addition, the desk-work for selection of potential sites, fieldwork for acquiring fault data and landslide inventory, data processing and analysis besides preliminary report compilation would be carried out during the current fiscal year.