News
Frequent earth tremors prompt thinking on risk reduction
View(s):By Nadia Fazlulhaq
In districts where frequent earth tremors have caused alarm this year, disaster management officials have begun preparing people to respond to a possible higher magnitude earth tremor.
This week, an earthquake of 4.4 magnitude in the Richter scale was reported in the sea about 26 kilometres off the coast of Hambantota. Similarly, another earth tremor of 3.7 magnitude was recorded in the sea close to Beruwala which was felt in nearby land areas. Buttala, Wellawaya and many areas in the Monaragala District have been experiencing earth tremors measuring 2.0 to 3.5 magnitude on the Richter scale frequently since the beginning of this year. Two earth tremors were noted last month in Kirinda (2.6 magnitude) and Gomarankadawala (3.0 magnitude).
Awareness programmes being conducted in the Moneragala district
According to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB), in the first four months of this year, nine earth tremors have been recorded, the highest in a short period of time. Only five tremors were recorded for all of last year.
“Sri Lanka is located in the centre of the Indo-Australian plate and has no earthquake threat. However, there are concerns of the possibility of the formation of a new plate about 900m-1,000 km from the country off the south east seas. Then there is a possibility of increased tremors and even earthquakes,” said the GSMB Director General Ajith Prema.
He said seismic stations in the Buttala sugar factory premises, Hakmana, Pallekele, Mahakandarawa and Buddhangala are continuously monitoring and recording earth tremors.
The Disaster Management Centre said there is only a short window of time between an earthquake warning and escaping from danger. 
DMC’s Monaragala District Coordinator Ravindra Kumara said people at multi-storey shops, banks, Government and private institutions, and schools are being given training on what needs to be done during an earthquake or an earth tremor of a higher magnitude.
Experts believe that minor earth tremors are possible due to the increased number of earthquakes in many parts of the world. A 7.3 magnitude earthquake was reported off the seas of Sumatra, Indonesia this week. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Kermadec islands near New Zealand.
Dr. U.B. Amarasinghe, head of Peradeniya University’s Geology Department, said when there are earthquakes of high magnitude in plate boundaries, there is a possibility of tremors here.
“As we are centrally located in the Indo-Australian plate we are one of the safest islands. But when there are earthquakes in plate boundaries such as Sumatra, the Himalayas or Turkiye, there is a possibility of experiencing a high number of earth tremors,” he said.
He said there is a stress developing about 2,000km off south east of Sri Lanka that may trigger earth tremors as well.
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