Manipur University on January 19 inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Northeast Frontier Railway (NF Railway) to set up Center of Excellence Landslide Hazards Mitigation.
The center will study and suggest remedial measures for stability of the slopes along the railway line from Jiribam to Imphal and adjacent hill slopes in the state.
After signing the MoU, vice chancellor of Manipur University, N Lokendra Singh inaugurated the center in the presence of officials of the university and NF Railway.
As per the MoU, the university provided the space and building for the center which would be run with the funds to be provided by the NF Railway.
Experienced and expertise faculties of the university will study for suggesting the suitable slope stability control measures as well as attempt to develop an early warning system for landslide hazards as per the requirement of railway traffic on the Jiribam-Imphal alignment.
Speaking at the inaugural function, Anshul Gupta, general manager of NF Railway, hoped that NF Railway is working hard to expand the railway lines in the Northeast region with the latest technologies.
The center opened on January 19, he said, will be very helpful in the expansion of ongoing railway line construction in Manipur but in the expansion of the railway network in the Himalayan ranges, he said.
“The center is going to help us in creating infrastructure which will stand all the vagaries of weather, soils, landslides, rains, floods, etc.,” Gupta said.
Manipur University vice chancellor, N Lokendra Singh hoped that the center would help the NF Railway to find out ways and means of mitigating the natural disasters.
“The expertise available in our university will find out the ways and means to mitigate such a long-standing problem in the Northeast region, Manipur in particular,” he said.
