An earthquake measuring 4.3 on Richter scale hit Dahanu, Dhundalwadi and surrounding areas of Maharashtra’s Palghar on Friday, officials said, as hundreds of students appearing for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination were shifted to alternate test centres.

More than 40 mild tremors have been recorded by the five seismographs installed by the Regional Meteorological Department (RMD), Colaba, since November 3, 2018.

The quakes are also being monitored by Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), National Centre for Seismology in New Delhi, National Geophysical Research Institute of Hyderabad and other organisations, officials said.

Paghar’s district collector Dr Prashant Narnaware said the quake was felt at around 11:14am, the strongest felt in Dahanu since February 1 when a quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale was recorded.

The mild tremors lasting for a few seconds were reported again in Dhundalwadi and surrounding areas in Dahanu, Narnaware said.

Dahanu’s tehsildar Rahul Sarang said the quakes were measured on the seven seismographs installed in Dhundalwadi in Dahanu, which was the epicentre. The mild tremors were also felt in Sriram Nagar and other parts of Boisar and Tarapur and Vadrai village in Palghar, said Palghar’s tehsildar Mahesh Sagar.

Two engineers from Hyderabad’s National Geophysical Research Institute are permanently stationed in Dahanu to study the tremors being felt since November last year, said Sarang.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Pune left Dahanu on February 11 after conducting several awareness camps in Dahanu, he said. He said they had provided 200 tents to tribals in Dahanu as they were living in the open due to the tremors.

“We are also monitoring and assessing the damages of cracks in the mud houses of tribals due to the tremors,” he said.

Students appearing for the SSC exams in Dahanu area were shifted to venues which have a strong foundation and they need not fear the tremors, said Sarang.

First Published: Mar 01, 2019 16:59 IST