From CK Nayak
New Delhi: The highly seismic prone North East India is experiencing most frequent earthquakes of varying degrees, in less than a month period, but scientists cannot say anything for sure since tremors are just “not predictable”.
Recorded data showed that the region experienced as many as 15 earthquakes from September 21 to October 16 this year alone in a span of just 25 days. This means more than one tremor every alternative day.
Many fear that these small tremors are a sign of a major earthquake to come but it is not a scientifically backed fact. While many reports cautioned of an impending major shock anytime some even maintain that such frequent tremors release the pressure on the clashing tectonic plates.
The highest measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale was recorded in Bishnupur area of Manipur and felt in other states on October 10. The region had tremors on the previous days and on succeeding days too only adding to worries of the locals.
The Northeastern Region has experienced 18 large earthquakes measuring seven and above during the last hundred years. This includes the great earthquakes of Shillong (1897) and the Assam-Tibet border (1950) both of magnitude 8.7.
This is besides several small and micro earthquakes which have also been recorded in the region. The high seismicity in this region can also be attributed to the collision tectonics between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate in the north and subduction tectonics along with the Indo-Myanmar range (IMR) in the east.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Nepal, recorded an unusual swarm of earthworms, they were in lakhs and surprised everyone normally a sign before any big tremor takes place. A journal published by UK research scientists Rachel A Grant and Hilary Conlan also confirmed this could be a sign of an impending earthquake.
Earthworm swarming behaviour, as recorded in Nepal only a few days ago has been reported frequently before earthquakes. This, the scientists point, could be caused by electric field shifts or another unknown mechanism.
Recently, an earthquake of 4.2 magnitude jolted West Sikkim and parts of North Bengal, with epicenter in Nepal. The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed nearly 9,000 people and injured nearly 22,000.