GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2620
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 18.08.2005

INSTITUTE OF SEISMOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN GUJARAT

2620. SHRI LEKHRAJ BACHANI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Central Government have taken any measure to establish an Institute for Seismological Research in Gujarat/all over the country to give precautions to the public of devastating earthquake/Tsunami waves near the coastal areas which would in future be a R&D Institution of international repute;

(b) if so, the decision on the proposal by the Central Government; and

(c) the provisions of funds for the project?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN DEV ELOPMENT

(SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. The Gujarat State Government has informed that the State has established an Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) in Gujarat. The Institute is mandated for R&D in the field of earthquakes. However, at present there is no scientific technique available anywhere in the world to forecast the occurrence of earthquake in terms of space, time and magnitude. For Tsunami, a separate proposal has been prepared to set up a Tsunami Warning System in Indian Ocean. The Department of Science & Technology and Department of Ocean Development are the lead agencies in this endeavour.

(c) Out of the World Bank loan received by the State Government under Gujarat Emergency Earthquake Reconstruction Project, an amount of Rs.30.00 crores has been allocated for the Institute. The Department of Science & Technology (DST) is providing technical and project based financial support to ISR. Recently an amount of Rs. 259.69 lakhs has been sanctioned to ISR for the project entitled "Seismological Research and Applications in Gujarat" to facilitate procurement of a set of geophysical survey instruments and creating necessary infrastructure.