Focus on quake and disaster management

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 16. The recent tremors recorded in various parts of Central Kerala, which had given rise to the curious phenomenon of `water spat', could be attributed to the possible release of Radon gas from the trapped clay horizons due to the process of liquefaction, according to Dr. M.M. Nair, Director, Geological Survey of India.

Since such phenomena have been attributed as possible precursors of earthquakes elsewhere, a detailed study was warranted in these areas, he suggested in his talk on `Earthquake: causes and disaster management', organised by the Breakthrough Science Society here today.

Dr. Nair maintained that the recent quakes felt in the State were identified with certain preferred orientations which agreed with the two sets of major lineaments. These were in the NNW-SSE direction parallel to the coast and across it in the ENE-WSW direction. Geological studies have shown that the neotectonic activities along the coast were also controlled by these lineaments.

These lineaments drew parallel to the Carlsberg ridge trend in the Arabian Sea and the transform faults across it. There was every reason to suspect that these being plate boundaries, the movements along the faults spend their energy in their extended portions along the Western Kerala coast. If that be the case, the earthquake scenario was likely to persist in future, though not alarming in the near future, Dr. Nair observed.

Dr. K.G. Thara, Head of the Faculty of Natural Disaster Management, Institute of Land Management, stressed the need for creating an awareness among the general public on the various aspects relating to disaster management.

There was the need to conduct vulnerability studies in a bid to preventing disasters. As far as Kerala was concerned, man-made disasters accounted for heavy loss and damage to life and property more than those caused by natural calamities, she said.

She also underscored the role of the media in disaster management. Rather than creating a scare and causing panic among the people through exaggerated reports, the media should educate the masses on the various aspects of disaster management, she suggested. Preparedness, mitigation, prevention, communication and co-ordination were the major aspects in this regard, she added.

Dr. Muralidharan of the Geological Survey of India and Mr. Benny Joseph of the Breakthrough Science Society, also spoke.

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Section  : Southern States
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