AGARTALA, October 15 (TIWN): The state is very vulnerable to earthquakes as it is situated on seismic zone-V and has higher probability of occurrence of big earthquakes measuring magnitudes 8 and more on Richter scale.

The capital of Tripura is having high risk potential in any major earthquake with possibilities of massive collateral damage in the form of casualties and mass injuries. The recent exercise found that the city is to be uniquely positioned to render massive physical damage to the residents of the city in any case of major natural calamities like earthquakes above 6.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The exercise was conducted based on major earthquakes like Haiti and Californioa, the highly placed source placed in the state government said.    

Floods are recurrent and have potential for disaster. They occur every year during normal monsoon season and cause temporary floods in valley and plain-lands, and urban flooding in Agartala and other ULBs. So far as Cyclone vulnerability is concerned, wind speed in the State can go up to 55m/s (198km/h) which are occasionally reach the State after crossing Bangladesh. It also affects the State during “Kal Baishakhi” (April-May) of every year. Tripura also witnesses landslides during monsoon in hills and along NH-44. The earth/rocks in the hill range of Tripura comprise of immature formation which is more vulnerable to earthquake tremors, the source further mentioned. 

Besides initiating measures for fighting possible disasters likely to be caused by earthquakes, the state government has already identified 2,000 vulnerable buildings. These include Ujjayanta Palace, abode of former princely rulers of the state in the heart of Agartala town, Raj Bhavan, Neer Mahal, a lake palace built by Tripura’s last king Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya in 1933, MBB College and a large number of school buildings, the source added.

According to the records of the Indian Meteorological Department, 41 earthquakes of 5.6 or lower magnitude have occurred within the coordinates 23.00-25.00ºN and 91.00-93.00ºE encompassing Tripura during the period 1970 to 2000.
 

The city was severely damaged by an earthquake of 8.7 magnitudes in the year 1897 when the royal palace was also fully destroyed. Earthquakes of high magnitude over the last 200 years in the region are- 
Earthquake of 10 January 1869 (Magnitude 7.5), Sillong plateau earthquake of 12 June 1897 (8.7), Srimangal earthquake of 1918 (7.6), Dubri earthquake of 1930 (7.1), Assam earthquake of 15 August 1950 (8.5).