Frequent Earthquakes in Northeast Raise Concerns, Experts Urge Quake-Resistant Buildings
Two consecutive earthquakes, including one of 5.7 magnitude, jolted several Manipur districts and adjoining northeastern states, officials said.
According to the Disaster Management officials, there has been no immediate report of loss of life or damage to property due to the two earthquakes. The moderate tremor of 5.7 magnitudes struck eastern Manipur’s mountainous Kamjong district, which abuts the Ukhrul, Tengnoupal, Imphal East, and Imphal West districts and shares a border with Myanmar.
The tremor, which struck at a depth of 110 km from the surface, was also felt in neighbouring Assam, Meghalaya and other parts of the northeastern region, the officials said.
Another mild quake, measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale, shook the same Kamjong district on Wednesday afternoon, officials said. As per the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) data, the tremor struck at a depth of 66 km from the surface.
Wednesday’s tremors are the third earthquake in the mountainous northeastern region within four days. On March 2, a mild quake, measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale, jolted western Mizoram’s mountainous Mamit district and adjoining areas.
On February 27, a moderate earthquake of magnitude 5 on the Richter scale shook Assam’s Morigaon district.
The tremors were also felt in Guwahati and other parts of the state.
Earthquakes are reasonably common in the northeastern region, comprising eight states since the region falls in the sixth most earthquake-prone region.
Analysis of the NCS data found that more than one quake every week hit a northeastern state with most tremors measuring 3 to 4 on the Richter scale.
Consecutive earthquakes, mostly mild to moderate, in the mountainous northeastern states, especially in Assam, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya, have kept the authorities worried and forced public and private builders to build quake-proof structures.
In 1950, an earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale altered the course of the mighty Brahmaputra river, which passes by the congested Guwahati city, the northeastern region’s main commercial hub.
Another earthquake of magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale hit northeastern India in 1988, killing more than 200 people in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
In 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 shook Sikkim and parts of West Bengal killing more than 100 people.
Another quake in 2017, with a magnitude of 5.7, struck 20 km northeast of Ambassa in Tripura’s Dhalai district.
Disaster Management authorities are regularly conducting awareness campaigns about the frequent quakes in the northeastern states.
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