While Gujarat is trying to get over the scars of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, the threat of another catastrophe continues to loom over the state.
Experts say Gujarat is the most seismically active state in India
AHMEDABAD: While Gujarat is trying to get over the scars of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, the threat of another catastrophe continues to loom over the state.
“It’s a fact that Gujarat is the most seismically active state in the country,” said Dr B K Rastogi, director of Institute of Seismological Research (ISR), adding that, “Since the Bhuj earthquake in 2001, number of quakes in the state has increased substantially.”
"The state is located over the South Narmada Fault, the biggest fault in the country. It originates from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and moves across the Arabian Sea to Saurashtra region,” said Dr J G Negi, ex-director of ISR.
The recent earthquakes in Junagadh were not caused by the South Narmada Fault. “Some minor seismic activities in the Junagarh region had caused the tremors. The South Narmada Fault system is not active currently, so the intensity of these quakes was less and not too destructive,” said Dr Sumer Chopra, a senior seismologist at the ISR.
Along with South Narmada Fault there are scores of other major fault systems in the state making it extremely vulnerable to quakes.
"The 2001 Bhuj earthquake has thrown the entire tectonic plate system of Gujarat haywire. Many fault lines have become active or are showing increased activities after the earthquake," Chopra said. The biggest concern for seismologists in the state is the movement of epicentres of quakes. Jamnagar is one of the areas where lot of seismic activity has been observed.
“In 2007, there were more than 60 earthquakes of magnitude between 2 to 3.4 on Richter scale in Jamnagar district," said Rastogi. "Though in 2006 these tremors were concentrated near Kotra village, now they are occurring at a length of 20 km at various points between Vijarakhi, Theva and Kotra villages and moving towards Rajkot,” he added.
Similar activities are reported from Bhuj area where the North Wagad fault, the blind spot responsible for the 2001 earthquake, has been active. NWG is directly underneath the Kutch mainland fault line. Kutch mainland fault line is the biggest fault line in the state. “Fortunately, KMF is currently dormant,” said Rastogi.
“The epicentres of earthquakes have migration tendency, which poses danger for a state like Gujarat that is rigged with fault lines. Any slight earthquake, caused by a minor fault, can trigger a major fault system causing a much larger earthquake,” said Negi.
s_bhardwaj@dnaindia.net
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