Earthquake measurement sub-centre established in Chembu

Madikeri: Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre, (KSNDMC) has established a temporary 'earthquake measurement sub-centre' near the government high school of Chembu village in Kodagu district on Thursday.

The action followed by pressure by villagers as they experienced mild tremors of three times since a week. Karike andChembu villages and surrounding areas experienced mild tremors triggered panic among people. The district administration informed KSNDMC which established centre. Speaking to reporters KSNDMC scientist Dr Ramesh told that after visiting Karike and Chembu village, the location has been inspected and decided to establish temporary center to study the quakes. He said the centre installed with, seismic measurement equipments (Broadband Seismometer, Accelerometer, Digitizer, GPS and accessories.

If a tremor occurs, the seismograph will record it on the Richter scale. He said that from time to time detailed information regarding the earthquake will be provided to the district administration from the temporarily installed seismic measuring equipment.

Around Karike and Chembu, an earthquake of 2.3 at 9 am on June 25, 3.0 at 7.45 am on June 28, and 1.8 at 4.32 pm on the Richter scale was recorded at the permanent seismological center at Harangi reservoir, Ramesh said.

He said that in 2018, he had visited the areas where the earth had cracked and observed that the earth did not have fissure this time. Dr Ramesh suggested that if an earthquake occurs, the public should leave their homes without panic, switch off electricity and

cooking gas, and not to put too much weight on the roof of the building, if such precautionary measures are taken, the disaster can be reduced.

Dr Jagadish, a scientist from the KSNDMC Ananya Vasudev, district disaster expert, Loyal, a junior geologist from the Department of Mines and Earth Sciences and others were present.