Gujarat ISR to come up with quake prediction system

According to B K Rastogi, director general, ISR, the earthquake prediction and early warning system will be the country's first such full fledged centre

The Gujarat government's Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) is all set to come up with an earthquake early warning and prediction system to avoid loss of lives and property during such a calamity in the state.

Gujarat had witnessed one of the most horrific earthquakes on January 26, 2001, taking the toll of more than 10,000 lives, in Kutch and a loss of the properties worth in crores, which was the main reason to come with this idea of early warning system.

"We are setting up an early warning system that can predict earthquake when it takes place at its epicentre and with its help we can give an alert around 30 seconds before the tremors reach other places," said, B K Rastogi, Director General, ISR.

"By developing this system, we can save lives of people at the time of earthquake and also we can generate alerts to the industries including major nuclear plants and hazardous chemicals units so that no lethal leakage will take place," added Rastogi.

The idea to develop earthquake early warning system was conceived considering the fatalities that the state had witnessed during the major earthquake on January 26, 2001, said Rastogi.

The epicentre of that earthquake was Bhachau in Kutch district, which is considered as the major faultline and we cannot deny the probability of such major earthquakes in future also, he said.

According to Rastogi, ISR's earthquake prediction and early warning system will be the country's first such full fledged centre.

"There was a plan to set up an earthquake prediction centre in Noida on outskirts of Delhi and it got sanctioned also. However, work has not started, but we have already started developing softwares and hardwares for our system," Rastogi said.

"We have imported hardware and software systems from some foreign universities, while the research to develop the technology have been based on fault-lines and seismic waves," added Rastogi.

The expenditure to develop this system will be borne by the Gujarat government, said Rastogi.