By Pradnya Gaonkar

Based on studies conducted by him, Shankar Komarpant attributes the rise in well water levels to increasing seismic activity.

ON FEBRUARY 9, 2010 Ramchandra Bali’s wife went to fetch water from the well in the morning and was surprised at the rising water level. Normally, the well water reaches a maximum of one to two metres during the dry months of summer. But this summer it was above five meters. The sudden rise in the water level attracted the attention of the rest of the neighbourhood as well. The issue was highlighted by the media which, in turn, gave rise to panic in the neighbourhood. A local nature lover claimed that the rise of the water level and associated atmospheric changes could be related to tectonic plate movement, which could be a precursor to an earthquake in the near future. The Water Resource Department was instructed to carry out a study and file a report. While the Water Resource Department has been visiting the site almost everyday to measure the water level changes, the locals are confused about what information to rely on.

Shankar Duklo Komarpant, who works in the administrative section of the Police station in Porvorim, has been basing his research on the information retrieved through the internet and studies carried out on the ground. “I have studied till Std X and blessed with the God’s gift that I can find the answer to any problem very fast,” says Komarpant. According to Shankar Komarpant, the rising water level in the wells should be taken seriously. This phenomenon has been observed in Sangolda and the adjoining areas of Bastora and Salpem. In Sangolda alone, it was discovered that seven wells had a rising and receding water level between hours. Shankar Komarpant tried to find out whether there were similar occurrences in South Goa and discovered that a few houses in parts of Canacona did have the same problem.

FLY POPULATION

IN addition to this, Komarpant confirmed that there was an increase in the fly population a few days earlier. According to Komarpant, flies emerge from underground, and die due to intolerance towards the usual atmospheric conditions. The sudden fluctuation in atmospheric temperatures has also been linked to the rise and fall of well water levels. The explanation is that the underground tectonic plate movement has caused a shift in the rock beds. The friction between the rock beds generates a charge in the rocks. This charge attracts the charged ions present in the atmosphere generating heat. The scientists at the National Institute of Oceanography have related the fluctuating temperatures to the changes taking place globally. The extreme heat during the day is followed by a drop in temperatures in the night. Dew formation is associated with the cooling of the earth’s surface as well as the amount of suspended particles in the atmosphere.

When the plates move, underground gases and water try to find an opening to escape, causing a rise in water levels. A similar reason has been attributed to the Canacona floods in October 2009, which caused havoc and destruction to life and property in the area. Komarpant says the movement of the plates caused low lying water to gush out of cracks on a nearby hill. He claims that it was a mini earthquake which claimed two lives and caused much destruction in the area. A report on the Canacona floods was submitted to the president of India, Pratibha Patil, who visited the state recently. Komarpant visited Canacona and took a look at the recently developed fissures on the hill. “There were altogether 30 cracks formed on the hill, but I managed to see only two as it was not possible for me to travel around,” says Komarpant.

In the case of Sangolda, Komarpant has referred to a method adopted by China and Japan, where specific wells are constructed at a marked level in order to monitor the tectonic plate movement in accordance with the rise in well water levels. “There have been incidents where the authorities in China have alerted the people of an approaching earthquake based on the water level rise in wells. But lives were still lost as the exact area could not be marked. In our state, disaster management is dysfunctional, but we should, at least, try to avoid any loss of life by acting on such precursors,” says Komarpant. He has also asked for an analysis of the water because it may contain dissolved gases like Helium which are dangerous for consumption. According to Komarpant, when the well water initially started to rise, the colour of the water was turbid. But Ramchandra Bali confirmed that that same turbidity was not there this time, except for effervescing bubbles. But this does not mean that the water is toxic as the life in it is unaffected.

NO COMMENT

THE Water Resource Department, which is monitoring the water level, has refused to come to a conclusion without finishing the entire procedure. “We can only come to a conclusion when the monitoring process is over. It will take another 15 days,” says Prakash Badami, engineer of the Water Resource Department. No research organisation or government department has been handling seismic studies in the state. The media has been following the case without any confirmed reports of the cause from any authorities. The Water Resource Department has asked for more time to reach a conclusion. “The well water rise is just a trailer. The earthquake may not follow immediately. It may take even a year,” says Komarpant confidently.

There is no previous data which states that Goa is a seismic activity prone zone. But Komarpant waves off this fact saying that Goa is a seismic activity prone zone II. However, if this is in fact confirmed by authorities, there can be no approval of buildings more than two storeys high in Goa. He has also accused scientists of having sided with the government. Goa has faced minor jolts during the earthquakes in Maharashtra along the Koyna dam region. Locals, however, await satisfactory answers to their questions. They wonder if it is an earthquake that might finally answer these questions…