India to Add 35 More Earthquake Observatories by End of This Year and 100 More by Year 2026: Govt

What is the News?

The Union Minister addressed the inaugural ceremony of the Joint Scientific Assembly of International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) – International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior (IASPEI). 

About the Joint Assembly:

1. The IAGA-IASPEI have come together to hold a joint assembly in 2021. The assembly is being hosted by the CSIR-NGRI with the support of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
   • Note: CSIR-NGRI denotes Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Geophysical Research Institute

Key Highlights from the address:

• The Indian subcontinent is considered as one of the world’s most disaster-prone areas in terms of earthquakes, landslides, cyclones, floods and tsunamis.
• In the last six decades, India had only 115 Earthquake Observatories. In future, India is going to have 35 more earthquake Observatories by the end of 2021 and 100 more such Observatories in the next five years. 

National Centre for Seismology(NCS):

1. NCS is an office of India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences. The office monitors earthquakes and conducts seismological research. Specifically, it provides earthquake surveillance and hazard reports to governmental agencies. 
2. Divisions: It consists of various divisions. Such as,
   • Earthquake Monitoring & Services
   • Earthquake Hazard & Risk Assessments
   • Geophysical Observation Systems.
3. In 2017, NCS launched a mobile app called “IndiaQuake”. The app provides real-time information about the parameters of earthquakes occurring in India.