Aizawl, May 3 : The Mizoram government has warned the residents of the state of possible major-intensity earthquakes in the near future.
Tremor experts have listed the state as an area which geographically falls into the most vulnerable seismic zone V.
Sources in the state geology and mining department said, of late, there have been many instances of violations of building construction norms in major towns like Aizawl, Lunglei and Kolasib.
The state was jolted by two severe tremors on April 19 and February 4 this year, which mostly affected the high-rise buildings that have recently been built in large numbers on the hill slopes in Aizawl and Lunglei.
The February 4 quake measured 6.4 on the Richter scale.
H. Lallenmawia, the state’s joint director of the geology and mining departments, said the quake, which hit the state on April 19, did not have much of an impact because of the low density of the soil in Mizoram.
The second earthquake, measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale, is now being studied in the geology and mining department.
Lallenmawia has called for an adherence to construction rules.
He also suggested that raising the buildings would help to provide a safety cushion during quakes.
An old timer in Aizawl said before the state was rocked by insurgency, the town had only wooden cottages and rows of wooden and bamboo shops on stilts on the hill slopes.
But the town underwent a major transformation after the Centre infused money for development and as a result, a large number of highrises came up on the slopes.
Cachar district was also hit by a quake, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, on December 31 in 1984.
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