Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 3
Even as the northeast region, which is located in a highly volatile seismic zone, experienced four earthquakes of minor magnitude last August, experts in the Geology & Mining department of Nagaland today allayed fears of an impending major earthquake in Nagaland.
Geologist KA Lotha, a Joint Director heading the Geo-technical Wing in the Geology & Mining department asserted that there is no need to worry about impending major earthquakes in Nagaland. While admitting that earthquakes cannot be predicted, Lotha said prediction about major earthquakes in the region is nothing but “political gimmick” for contractors and builders to claim more money from the government in the name of making constructions more ‘earthquake resistant.’
He said such predictions by scientists, contractors and politicians are all “linked up.” He explained that it would have contractors demanding more money for construction works on claims of bigger and stronger foundations to resist earthquakes. Although Nagaland sits on one of the most volatile seismic zones in the world, KA Lotha said, the recent tremors are just the releasing of “stress and strains” of the Tectonic plates – the Indian plate and the Burmese plates – passing under the other.
“It’s just like a pressure cooker. When there is no sound when you are cooking something, then it means danger; but when it makes a sound, then it is releasing the pressure and that it is safe,” asserted KA Lotha. The ‘stress release’ of the tectonic plates is a normal and natural seismic process, he said. According to the geologist, if the tremors do not occur, it would be assumed that the pressure on the tectonic plates is being concentrated and the pressure could give way to a major earthquake of high magnitude which would prove dangerous.
Nonetheless, KA Lotha while informing that the department is monitoring the tremors in the region said three seismometers have been installed in different areas – Tseminyu, Pfutsero and Yaongyimsen – in the state. However, he said the seismometers are simply to monitor the intensity of tremors on the Richter Scale and not to predict earthquakes.
Another Joint Director in the Department heading the Seismic Wing, Wangthang Rengma informed that there is no need to panic as of now. Saying that the department is sending daily updates of the seismometers to the central observatory in Jorhat, Wangthan disclosed that there has been no “signal” from the observatory predicting earthquakes. However, saying that minor tremors are by and large taken as symptoms of an impending major earthquake by many, he said there is no reason to panic. The observatory has not alerted the state about any major earthquakes, he said.
Earlier, noted seismologist Prof SK Sarma, a former Head of the Department of Environmental Science, Guwahati University (GU) had predicted a great earthquake, measuring 8 or more on the Richter scale, in the NE region by 2010.
Contrary to the prediction of Prof Sarma, geologist DK Barman of the Assam Directorate of Geology and Mining claimed that no major tremor is anticipated in the region. However, mild tremors would continue to occur in this region. This is because of the movement of the Indian Plate towards the NE region.
But in case of a major earthquake?
Geologist KA Lotha disclosed that if an earthquake of magnitude of about 8.7 Richter Scale hits Nagaland, a major catastrophe may be expected. He said the houses would first sink and then collapse and there would be mudslides and heavy destruction to human lives and property.
Lotha disclosed that if the earthquake of the stated magnitude occurs in Dimapur during summer, sub-surface water would be disturbed and buildings would first sink and then collapse. But in Kohima, whether it is summer of winter, he said, constructions would collapse as the houses are constructed without ‘taking any precautions.’ He especially termed as “dangerous” the type of houses that have increased their size after every added storey. He said that the pressure on the base would not be able to withstand the storeys; the normal structure of houses should be of proportionate size – that is the height of house should be proportionate to the area of its foundation, he said.
Besides, Geologist Mar Imchen – former literary secretary of the Nagaland Geo Scientist Association - also disclosed that the soil and rock formation of the state is very unstable and so in case of a major earthquake there would be mudslides and houses would simply collapse. In this regard, Geologist KA Lotha informed that the department have formed a Public Awareness Committee to create awareness among the people. This committee have given seminars to church members, students and villagers and town dwellers, but with little effect. “They listen but they don’t practice it (the points given in the seminars),” said Lotha.
Lotha said that the department is carrying out a geological hazard studies in six district headquarters of the state – Dimapur, Mokokchung, Kohima, Phek Zunheboto and Wokha. Experts from the department are studying the soil and rock formations and also other geological hazards in the state. He informed that the findings of the experts would be made known to the public through the media after the studies are completed.
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