The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Geologist questions experts' claims on vibrations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 17, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Geologist questions experts' claims on vibrations

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, SEPT.16. A retired petroleum geologist of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) has claimed that the vibrations recorded at the city's Krishna Lanka region were the result of "deep-seated seismic activities" in the region. Experts from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) had earlier ruled out such a possibility.

A deeper study

The scientist, M. G. Anand, advised the NGRI and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) experts to study the phenomenon further before arriving at a final conclusion.

Speaking to The Hindu , the 86-year-old geologist, who has worked in quake-prone regions like Assam feels that the vibrations at Krishna Lanka cannot be dismissed merely as "hydrological phenomenon." "What we have witnessed is a deep seated seismic activity that, of course, did not have the potential to cause an earthquake. But had it been at the shallow level, the destruction could have been colossal," he said.

`Aftershock'

Elaborating on the vibrations, Mr. Anand said that since the seismic activity occurred at a depth of more than five kilometres, it did not result in rattling and quivering on the surface. Had the movements taken place at a depth less than three kilometres, the damage would have been more pronounced. "The vibrations experienced by the residents for more than two days are in fact the aftershock of the seismic activity," he said.

Inspect riverbed

Mr. Anand said that the NGRI and the IMD experts had perhaps not come to a proper understanding of the situation as they chose to confine their inspection to the Krishna Lanka area alone where the vibrations were reported. Instead, he suggested that the experts make a detailed inspection of the entire riverbed stretching from the Diviseema region up to Amaravathi to delve deeply into the phenomenon. The vibrations in the Krishna Lanka area had now thrown new opportunities for the geo-scientists to make a detailed analysis for possible seismic activity in the Krishna Godavari basis, he added.

Mr. Anand, who retired in the early 1970's, says he had recommended to the late Chief Minister, Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, as early as in 1967 to explore the Krishna-Godavari basin for oil and natural gas. The recommendations were forwarded by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, to the ONGC. But the latter took up the exploration after much dilly-dallying only in 1980, he said.

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