Northeastern region and its adjoining areas – Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar as also the Andamans – have been rocked by at least 16 earthquakes in the current month, with the series of tremors of Saturday causing major damage in Nepal.
The IMD website, in its earthquake data for the current month (April) showed that while seven of these 16 earthquakes were significantly felt in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, these measured from as low as 2.8 on the Richter scale in the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya on April 9 to the 7.9 that epicentred in Pokhara in Nepal but was felt not just across northern and eastern India but even down south in Kochi and other places.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has grouped the country into four seismic zones on the basis of various scientific inputs from various agencies including earthquake data provided by the Indian Meteriological Departmen (IMD). Accordingly, the Northeastern region comes under Zone V – “very severe intensity zone” –, which covers about 12 per cent of the country’s geographical area.
Following is the list of 16 earthquakes that the Northeast and its adjoining areas including the Andamans had experienced in the current month:-
# April 3: Andaman Islands/4.0 on Richter scale.
# April 8: Bangladesh/4.5 on Richter scale.
# April 9: Sonitpur district, Assam/3.1 on Richter scale.
# April 9: West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya/2.8 on Richter scale.
# April 9: Andaman Islands/5.1 on Richter scale.
# April 12: Chandel, Manipur/3.5 on Richter scale.
# April 15: Myanmar/4.5 on Richter scale.
# April 16: Sonitpur district, Assam/4.8 on Richter scale.
# April 17: Morigan district, Assam/3.8 on Richter scale.
# April 18: Sonitpur district, Assam/3.2 on Richter scale.
# April 21: North of Andamans/5.0 on Richter scale.
# April 21: Nepal/4.9 on Richter scale.
# April 23: West Sikkim/4.0 on Richter scale.
# April 23: Andaman Sea/5.1 on Richter scale.
# April 25: Nepal/7.9 on Richter scale.
# April 25: Nepal/6.6 on Richter scale.
(Source: IMD Website)