Geologists to visit K'taka district after series of quakes

A team of geologists and scientists will visit Karnataka's Vijayapura on Friday after the district was hit by a series of earthquakes.

The people of the district have experienced tremors seven times in a month. The latest being on Thursday evening at 6.21 p.m., which measured 3.2 on the Richter scale, according to the National Centre for Seismology.

Although no loss of life or damage to property has been reported, the continuous mild quakes have triggered fear and panic among the residents.

Meanwhile in Kalaburgi district, also hit by frequent quakes, most people from the Gadikeshwara village in Chincholi taluk have already migrated to other places fearing for their lives.


Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, who visited the village on Tuesday night, also felt the tremors.

Siddaramaiah called up Revenue Minister R. Ashok from the spot and asked him to direct the district commissioner to construct sheds and provide facilities for the people.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has already conveyed an emergency meeting with the officers of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).


He has directed the officials to establish relief centres and provide compensation for the damages caused to houses by the tremors.

The Chief Minister has also directed the officers to submit a report on the repeated earthquakes in the two districts of Kalaburgi and Vijayapura.

A team of experts and scientists from premier institutes of the geology of the country will visit Kalaburgi on November 8 and 9 to analyse the situation.


Scientists from the National Centre for Seismology, National Geophysical Research Institute, National Institute of Rock Mechanics, Geological Survey of India, Scientific and Industrial Research Partishat, state Mining and geology department and the KSNDMC will visit Gadikeshwara village on Nov 8 for two days.

Incessant rains in the state have worsened the situation.

Deputy Commissioner Vasireddi Vijaya Jyothsna of Kalaburgi district has stated that she would stay in Gadikeshwara to instil confidence among people - IANS