Ham senses quakes, draws scientists
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His physical disabilities stand apart when this ham radio enthusiast makes calculations and predictions about earthquakes somewhat accurately – and the scientists at the premier Centre for Earth Science Studies are enthused.
Sreemurukan Anthikkad, a 48-year-old Ham radio enthusiast, paralysed below waist due to polio while he was an infant, makes assessments that are “50 per cent” satisfactory, say CESS scientists like Dr John Mathai.
“Sreemurukan alerts us when he identifies unusual changes in radio waves while talking without the support of boosters (repeaters). This, he feels, is indicative of quakes. This he did a day before several quakes in the last few months,” says Dr John Mathai.
In Sreemurukan’s own words, “It’s the result of an interest that I am taking in this for a decade. Apart from observing the radio frequency in Ham to gauge a quake possibility, I also keep a vigil on the variations in temperature, humidity and animal behavior.”
Sreemurukan earns a livelihood by running a small scale industrial (SSI) unit at Anthikkad for assembling inverters and UPS, employing four people.
He says he could predict the recent minor quakes in Thrissur, Idukki and even Myanmar. “I had predicted the one on Sunday which I guessed would be in Thiruvananthapuram but actually occurred in Kollam. I am keeping track of the quakes on the Indian plate,” he says.
Dr. John Mathai, who went and met Sreemurukan, says the commerce graduate reads a lot of articles relating to earthquakes. He also gets alerts on his mobile phone from international agencies including the US Geological Survey on quakes and other matters.
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