Post News Network
Cuttack, April 26: Even as the panic surrounding Saturday’s tremors was yet to die down, fresh jolts at around 12:45 pm Sunday sent shockwaves among residents.
Rumours soon started spreading that more tremors of stronger magnitude were set to follow, leading to full-blown panic.
Sunday’s tremors came at a time when residents were watching the gory aftermath of the Nepal quake on their television sets.
“I was watching the news of the Nepal quake when I felt tremors which lasted for a few seconds. That was enough for me to scamper outside to safety,” said Prashant Mohapatra, a resident of Link Road. Prashant stays in an apartment.
According to sources in the Indian Meteorological Department, Sunday’s tremors were felt most by those staying in high-rise buildings. Sanghamitra Mohanty, a resident of Station Bazaar said she did not feel the tremors. “I could not feel anything unlike yesterday. It was only when my sister called that I got to know that there was another tremor that jolted the city,” Sanghamitra said.
The district administration has planned an awareness drive in the city to spread information on ways to handle such calamities. Cuttack collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra said norms set for construction of buildings in the city would be verified and CDA would be asked to submit a report soon.
However, residents are sceptical as CDA is yet to submit its report on high-rise and unsafe buildings, as was demanded by the district administration one year ago. A CDA official, on condition of anonymity, said the matter was pursued for a few days as the quake jolted the city a year back. “But, then due to some reasons, it was just left in the cold basket,” he said.
“Such checks were conducted last year too when the city was jolted by a quake. Nothing happened. Once the matter cools down, officials will forget and rampant concretisation of the city will resume,” said Dr Prashant Swain, a retired armed forces doctor.
Cuttack comes under Seismic Zone III and is prone to earthquakes.