Union Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh, inaugurated a Seismology Observatory at Udhampur in the Jammu division on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said Udhampur has now emerged on the world seismological map with the installation of the latest upgraded Seismological Observatory by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Secretary DST, Dr. M Ravichandran was also present during the inauguration.

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Dr. Singh said that during the last eight years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has installed more than 70 such observatories across the country, compared to just 80 installed in over six decades.

While dedicating the observatory to the people, the minister said that PM Narendra Modi has laid renewed emphasis on the scientific programmes by prioritising science and technology-based developments and allocating sufficient budget to the science departments.

He also said that in the last 7-8 years, the departments that previously did not get due importance are prioritised. One such department brought into the forefront is the Department of Earth Sciences which used to work in anonymity earlier, he added.

Dr. Jitendra Singh further said that India has a very long coastline of around 6,000 km and is the only country that has an ocean named after it. It is a symbol and a legacy of our glorious past and a bright future towards which India is heading under PM Narendra Modi, he added.

He said that in the next five years, 100 more such seismological centers will be opened across the country for improving real-time data monitoring and data collection. India is moving closer to playing a critical role in seismological advancement and understanding, he added.

Dr. Singh said that the observatory at Udhampur will record the data related to the inner activities of the earth’s crust and will provide data to various seismological stations across the globe.

The minister maintained that J&K is in the seismic zone especially in South and North Kashmir where such Observatories have been established. Udhampur is the third place in J&K where such seismological observations will be recorded now, Dr. Singh informed.

Ocean resources, Coastal initiatives, and Earthquake studies are among futuristic StartUp possibilities offered by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr. Singh said.

Explaining the special significance of Udhampur for setting up this observatory here, Dr. Singh said that the Udhampur district lies between the two seismological fault lines and thus can provide critical data related to the earthquakes.