Lucknow is on earthquake list

LUCKNOW: There is a very fine difference between a prolonged roller coaster ride and a 30-second earthquake. However rigorous the ride is, you are sure to return to safety of your home — but after an earthquake, home may be a thing of the past.
Delhi has witnessed half-a-dozen tremors in a month and Moradabad area recorded an earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter Scale.Lucknow too must put on its safety belt. Though Lucknow has not experienced any disastrous earthquake for a long time, the possibility of one cannot be ruled out.
The city that falls in Zone III on the seismological ratings lies on the Faizabad faultline, which has a seismic gap of about 350 years. "Experts say that Faizabad fault, which has been under stress for long now, could spell a major disaster in future, when an earthquake does occur," explains Sanjay Bhoosreddy, special secretary, housing and urban planning.
As the Indian plate continues to move north towards the Eurasian plate, the Indian subcontinent is bound to experience more earthquakes. "The movement of the Indian plate had been restricted by the Eurasian plate, and now the former is slowly going under the Eurasian plate. The movement results in earthquakes as the rocks cannot sustain the stress for too long," says Bhoosreddy.
"The Indian plate is likely to slip by 5.25 metre when an earthquake does occur along the Faizabad fault. Experts believe that such a slip equates to an earthquake of 8.0 on Richter Scale," explains Rehan Raza Khan, project officer (earthquake mitigation) Uttar Pradesh.
Gomati basin and the Ganga basin have soft, alluvial soil, and an earthquake could prove even more damaging for the area. "There is a greater chance of liquefaction of soil resulting in buildings sinking into the ground," Khan points out. On the other hand, this alluvial cushion has also protected the region, as slight tremors and shocks are absorbed by it.
In a Disaster Risk Management Programme chalked out by the Ministry of Home Affairs in association with United Nations Development Programme, 38 Indian cities have been identified in Zone III and above. Six cities of UP also feature on this list that includes Lucknow. "Agra, Varanasi, Bareilly, Meerut, Lucknow and Kanpur are on the list of which Meerut is in Zone IV," informs Khan.