(a) the present system available with the Government for prediction of earthquake;
(b) whether the Government is going to bring some new technology to bolster its earthquake
prediction capabilities;
(c) if so, the details in this regard;
(d) whether the new plan is still preliminary in nature and funds are yet to tide up;
(e) if so, the reasons for delay; and
(f) the time by which the new scheme to place a network of seismic monitors 8 km. below
ground level likely to be set up?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES(SHRI ASHWANI KUMAR)
a) Presently, there is no system available either with the Indian government or anywhere
in the world to predict earthquakes.
b) Yes Madam,
c) Efforts are continuously made to capture certain pre-cursory signatures so as to
understand the earthquake generation process to develop capabilities for earthquake prediction
in future. Ministry of Earth Sciences is implementing several R&D projects during the current
5-year plan under the National Program of Earthquake Precursors (NPEP). The program is aimed
at generating multi-parametric geophysical observations in identified seismically active areas
of the country for better understanding of earthquake source processes and also to identify
possible earthquake precursors.
d) No Madam.
e) Does not arise.
f) Efforts have just started to build a new scientific initiative specifically to
understand the seismic activity of Koyna region in more detail by drilling deep boreholes
below the ground to place a network of seismic sensors. For this purpose, recently MOU has
been signed on 7th Jan., 2011 with German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) on behalf of
the International Continental Scientific Drilling Programme (ICDP) for an initial period of 5
years.