KISHTWAR: The mountainous belt of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district got a seismological observatory on Monday as Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the country’s 183rd such facility to augment the national seismological network, enhance earthquake monitoring and increase disaster preparedness in the region.
The observatory is the fourth such facility in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The inauguration was attended by Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma and Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar.
The observatory will strengthen earthquake monitoring in the Himalayan region through 24×7 seismic monitoring, enhancing India’s earthquake observation capabilities, the minister said.
According to officials, Kishtwar sits in the middle of a fault line, and the newly inaugurated facility will help in accurate seismological data for all types of measures.
They said the observatory would help in round-the-clock monitoring of seismic activities in Kishtwar and adjoining areas, which are vulnerable to earthquakes.
Singh had earlier dedicated the country’s 153rd seismological observatory at Udhampur on June 21, 2022.
Thirty additional observatories have been established across the country over the past four years, officials said.
The establishment of the new facility is a significant step towards building a safer, scientifically empowered and disaster-resilient India, they added.
The inauguration of the observatory in Kishtwar marks an important step towards building a safer, more alert, scientifically empowered and disaster-resilient India, they said.
Expressing gratitude to the minister on behalf of the people of Kishtwar, the officials said the establishment of the facility in such a seismically sensitive area was a significant achievement.
