TIRUPATI: Residents of nearly half a dozen villages in Ramakuppam mandal in Chittoor district are living in a constant fear as they hear rumbling sounds from earth's core and are experiencing a series of mild tremors for over a fortnight.
Though officials have said there is no chance of an earthquake striking this region and that the repeated micro tremors felt here were a result of a phenomenon named 'hydro-seismicity', villagers are not in a mood to believe them. Several people have y left their homes and are living in their relatives’ homes elsewhere. Those who are stuck to their homes are living in constant fear.
According to reports, mild tremors first struck villages of Gurivimakulapalli, S Gollapalli, Krishnanagar Colony, Palli Kuppam, Gadduru, Pedda Garikapalli in Ramakuppam mandal in the late hours on November 26. Villagers said the tremors happened with a loud noise from beneath the ground and it continued for 20 seconds. Micro tremors struck some villages repeatedly and they are recurring every now and then.
Even as officials from the revenue, police and mines departments visited the villages and a team of scientists are studying the field conditions, the residents of Gadduru, Gerigipalle, Gurivimakula Palli, Yanadi Colony, Krishnanagar colony and Pedda Garikapalli claimed they again experienced tremors for a few seconds on Tuesday night.
P. Venu Gopal, AD, Department of Mines and Geology, Palamaner division, told the Deccan Chronicle that micro tremors of this nature normally occur during the post-monsoon season. “It is a phenomenon called “hydro-seismicity”, which occurs “even after a heavy rainfall.”
“A natural increase in the hydraulic head, due to the elevation of the water table in recharge areas of groundwater basins, increases stress in earth. This event triggers micro tremors and in some cases it is accompanied by sounds”, he explained.
“These micro tremors are due to shallow earthquakes that generate high-frequency surface waves. This is common and nothing to worry about. It may not cascade into a large devastating earthquake,” he said.
However, they are sending the study reports to National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, for a detailed analysis of the events.
Ramakuppam tahsildar Daiavarajan, VRO Anand, MPDO Venkataratnam and local police personnel and officials of the mines department visited the villages and are sensitizing the inhabitants on such natural occurrences. They asked the villagers not to get panic but asked them not to enter the forest areas as it could be dangerous.
