A ‘green’ solution to prevent landslips in the Nilgiris

State highways department stabilizes slopes in Nilgiris with soil nailing and hydroseeding to prevent landslips and road blockages.

The State highways department is undertaking the stabilisation of slopes around the Nilgiris’ major roads at five locations by growing grasses to prevent soil erosion.

The project, known as ‘slope stabilisation using soil nailing and Hydroseeding method,’ is being undertaken in Ketti, Kattabettu, Perar, Kudah and Udhagamandalam, officials said.

The five locations were chosen for being prone to landslips and requiring alternative methods of slope stabilization to prevent landslips from blocking roads in the future. According to officials, the soil had to be tested along the slopes in these locations for their suitability before the project was undertaken.

According to an official from the State highways department, “Soil nailing is a geotechnical engineering technique that involves the insertion of reinforcing elements into the soil in a specified area to strengthen it.”

Following the process of strengthening the slope, ‘hydroseeding’ – a process of applying a mixture of seeds, fertilizer, organic materials and water onto the soil to facilitate the growth of grass and plant-life, that will help hold the top soil together and prevent erosion.

An official said, around five species of grasses, including a few local species native to India will be grown along the slopes in the five locations. The highways department will take up the maintenance of the grasses once the hydroseeding is completed, officials added, stating that this method of preventing landslips will help in mitigating impact of linear infrastructure such as roads in the Nilgiris.