In view of the increasing number of tremors in the State, especially in Idukki district, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has submitted a Rs.8.5-crore project to digitise seismograph machines. The proposal was submitted by KSEB officials at a two-day meeting convened by the National Disaster Management in New Delhi.
A senior official of the KSEB told The Hindu on Friday that chief engineer Karuppankutty and research wing executive engineer at Vazhathoppe P.N. Biju attended the meeting, held on Thursday and Friday.
Of the 12 seismograph centres in the State, the digitised equipment will be set up on trial basis at six centres. At present, the KSEB has analog seismometers, which were set up when the hydroelectric projects were launched. The KSEB's proposal to digitise the seismometers came as the analog meter data collected in Idukki, where the largest number of hydroelectric projects are situated, showed some inaccuracy and interruptions. A proposal to digitise the seismometers had been submitted to the State government by the KSEB.
Presently, the earth waves are collected from the seismograph meters at Painavu, Kulamavu, Alady, Vallakkadavu, Chottupara and Pallom and these centres will be digitised in the first phase, said sources. The KSEB also proposes to digitise the seismometers at Pampa, Edamalayar, Meenkettu, Kuttampuzha, Sholayar and Peringalkuthu in the second phase.
Analog seismograph has been designed and developed to monitor the process and record the field seismic data from remote sites. Under this system, the electrical signal produced by the short period seismic sensor in response to ground motion is fed directly to the analog recorder. However, the data from the digitalised strong motion seismometer clearly shows how an earthquake affects man-made structures. It measures acceleration and can be mathematically integrated to give velocity and its position more clearly.
