Quake safety steps mooted
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 15 2012:
Taking serious note of the frequent earthquakes recorded in the North East region during the past few months, environmentalist RK Ranjan has strongly advocated stringent implementation of Municipal bylaws which make earthquake safety measures a compulsion during construction of buildings.
Talking to this reporter in the backdrop of the earthquake which hit Manipur in the wee hours today, Dr Ranjan said that buildings constructed and being constructed in Imphal do not look like they conform to the earthquake safety measures.
Under the existing conditions, the State may witness extensive collapse of buildings resulting in a huge casualty in case of any major earthquake in the State, warned Dr Ranjan.
Notably, a moderate earthquake measuring 5.7 ML on Richter's Scale was felt all over Manipur at about 1.55 am today.
The epicentre of the earthquake was located in Chingai sub-division of Ukhrul district, about 88 Kms from Imphal.
The depth of the earthquake was estimated as 8 Kms and the felt duration was 6 seconds approximately, informed a press release issued by the Seismological Observatory, Manipur University.