'Explosion-like' sounds in Kerala village due to cracking of rocks, not dangerous: KSDMA
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 31: The "explosion-like" sounds, accompanied by tremors, that were heard in the Anakkallu area of Malappuram district a day ago, were apparently caused due to friction and cracking of rocks close to the surface of the earth, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said on Thursday.
According to a joint statement issued by the KSDMA and the District Disaster Management Authority in Malappuram, District Geologist, Ground Water Department Geologist and District Hazard Analyst conducted a site inspection where the noise and vibrations occurred on October 17, 18 and 29.
Based on the inspection, the KSDMA concluded the noise and vibrations were "caused by the friction and cracking of rocks close to the surface of the earth" -- a phenomena which has been reported in many parts of Kerala before -- and were generally not dangerous.
This phenomenon is often caused by subtle natural changes in the earth. They are also caused by the displacement of rocks due to groundwater utilisation and when air contained in small cavities inside the earth escapes through tube wells, KSDMA said in the statement.
It said a decision has been taken to subject the site to a geophysical survey to understand the structure of the area more accurately and for that the Kozhikode NIT has been contacted by the KSDMA.
Regarding the damage suffered by some buildings due to the vibrations, it said that the same was due to their "age and structural weakness".
The authority said that depending on the extent and pattern of the cracks suffered by the buildings, the damage can be repaired by an engineer for continued use.
Nearly 300 people were moved to safety after the "explosion-like" sounds accompanied by tremors were heard by them in Anakkallu area in Malappuram district on Tuesday night.
The first sound was reportedly heard at 9.15 pm on Tuesday, followed by two more at 10.15 pm and 10.45 pm along with mild tremors, and reportedly within a 2-km radius, causing panic among the local residents.
Local residents had said they heard alarming sounds similar to those heard from granite quarries at their place repeatedly accompanied by continuing tremors.
Cracks were also found to have developed in some houses in the area, they had said.
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Bihar: Estranged Nitish Kumar aide RCP Singh floats own party
Patna, Oct 31: Former Union minister RCP Singh, who had to quit his cabinet berth after falling out of favour with JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, on Thursday floated a new party "Aap Saabki Aawaz".
Talking to reporters here on the occasion, Singh said he chose the day for the launch as besides Dipawali, it was also the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
Incidentally, Patel is seen as a cultural icon by the powerful OBC community Kurmi, to which both Kumar and Singh belong, and the latter profusely thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for celebrating the birth anniversary on a grand scale.
Singh, the bureaucrat-turned-politician, who did not take any question, did not speak on his relations with the JD(U), which he had once headed but left in disgrace, and the BJP, which he joined a year ago, only to remain sidelined.
He, however, made it clear that his party was looking forward to contesting the Bihar assembly polls due next year and already had prospective candidates for "140 out of 243 seats".
Singh indirectly targeted Kumar by attacking the much-touted prohibition law in the state and highlighting the deterioration in government education institutions, "a far cry from our student days when we could crack the civil services, without reservation facility and with no coaching".
Hailing from the same Nalanda district as the Bihar chief minister, Singh was an Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, and on central deputation, he first came in contact with Kumar, then the railway minister.
After assuming power in Bihar in 2005, Kumar, who was visibly impressed with the administrative acumen of Singh, persuaded the latter to come to Bihar as his principal secretary.
In 2010, Singh took voluntary retirement and joined JD(U) which helped him enjoy two consecutive terms in the Rajya Sabha.
However, in 2021, his induction into the Narendra Modi cabinet did not go down well with Kumar, who had by then grown suspicious that his protégé was planning a sabotage.
Singh was made to step down as national president of JD(U) within months of becoming the party president, and denial of another Rajya Sabha term a year later caused him to give up the ministerial berth.
By that time JD(U) rank and file was agog with rumours that Singh was plotting a split at the BJP's instance and served with a show cause notice over allegations of financial misappropriations that caused him to quit the party.
A year later, he joined the BJP which had by that time been dumped by Kumar who chose to realign a year later.
Later, Kumar's JD(U) emerged as a crucial ally of the BJP which is now short of a majority in Lok Sabha.
