Scientists Warn of Major Earthquakes in Himachal and Uttarakhand in the Near Future
Hyderabad: A leading meteorologist and geological expert has warned that India’s tectonic plate is shifting by 5 cm every year, leading to an accumulation of stress along the Himalayas and increasing the possibility of major seismic events – earthquakes – in the coming days.
Dr. N Purnachandra Rao, principal scientist and seismologist at the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) told ANI on Tuesday, “Earth’s surface is made up of different plates which are constantly moving. The Indian plate is moving. 5 cm each a year, resulting in an accumulation of stress along the Himalayas and increasing the possibility of large earthquakes.”
“We have a strong network of 18 seismographic stations in Uttarakhand. The area referred to as the seismic divide between Himachal and western Nepal, including Uttarakhand, is prone to earthquakes that can strike anytime,” the chief scientist added.
The 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck 56 km north of Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh at 10:38 pm on Monday, the National Center for Seismology said.
The epicenter was located at a depth of 10 km below the earth’s surface, the agency said.
“An earthquake measuring 3.6 occurred 56 km north of Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh around 10:38 pm yesterday. The depth of the earthquake was 10 km underground,” the NCS said in a statement.
On February 19, an earthquake hit the town of Nandigama in the NTR district of Andhra Pradesh. No loss of life was reported in the incident.
