100 new seismic observatories planned to be setup across country: MOES secretary

Jammu, The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) plans to establish 100 new seismological observatories across the country, including four each in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, to strengthen monitoring and improve detection of earthquakes as low as magnitude 2.5, a senior official said.

MoES Secretary Srinivasa Kumar Tummala said the National Seismological Network has expanded significantly, with the number of stations increasing from 84 in 2014 to 183 at present.

He made the remarks during the inauguration of the country's 183rd seismological observatory by Union minister Jitendra Singh in Kishtwar.


"The Ministry of Earth Sciences has plans to establish 100 additional seismological observatories across the country. Of these, four new observatories will be established in Jammu and Kashmir and four in Ladakh", Tummala said.

"This expansion will help us lower the earthquake detection threshold to magnitude 2.5, enabling us to detect even smaller earthquakes," he added.

He said the network monitors earthquakes round the clock across the country, including the Himalayan region and border areas. The secretary further said the network could detect earthquakes of magnitude 4 and above in 2014, but its capacity has since improved to detecting earthquakes of magnitude 3 and above.

The proposed expansion would further strengthen the monitoring system, enabling the detection of earthquakes as low as magnitude 2.5, he added.

He said that the number of sensors in the National Seismological Network has more than doubled.

"In 2014, the network had 84 stations, which has now increased to 183. This network monitors earthquakes round the clock across the country, including the Himalayan region and border areas," Tummala added.

The secretary said the newly inaugurated observatory in Kishtwar is equipped with digital recording technology, replacing the earlier analogue systems.

He said the ministry was also working to strengthen disaster preparedness through seismic microzonation studies.

The National Centre for Seismology has completed seismic microzonation studies in five cities, including Srinagar, while reports for eight more cities would be released shortly, he said.

The ministry is also using digital platforms to disseminate earthquake-related information to the public, Tummala said, adding that real-time information is available through the NCS website and the 'Bhookamp' mobile application.

Information is also shared through SMS, email and social media platforms, he said. The new observatory in Kishtwar would make a significant contribution to earthquake monitoring in the Chenab Valley and the adjoining Himalayan region, the secretary said.

He also highlighted improvements in weather monitoring and forecasting through the expansion of observation networks, radars and automatic weather stations.