Class VIII student develops sensor to predict landslides

An eighth-standard student of Vellalar Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Erode, has developed a sensor-based system that could help predict landslides by detecting the depth of water percolation into hill soil.
Pradiksha, who developed the project, said excessive water infiltration into the soil during heavy rain could weaken the soil structure and increase the risk of landslides. The sensor is designed to assess the depth of water penetration and provide an indication of conditions that could precede a landslide.
As a preventive measure, she suggested growing suitable grass varieties on the slopes of the Bargur Hills in Erode district. A thick grass cover could protect the soil surface, while the roots would help bind the soil and reduce erosion, she said. The project seeks to combine early warning through sensors with a nature-based approach to stabilising vulnerable hill slopes.