Thursday, November 3 2005 19:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Madurai: There was no possibility of tsunami occurring at least for another 50 years in the coastal areas from Poompuhar to Nagore in Tamil Nadu, a recent study has said.

The possibility of a tsunami in this belt would arise only if there was an earthquake measuring nine on the Richter scale in Sumatra area. However, this type of earthquake occurs in a cycle of once in 50 years, the study carried out jointly by the Department of Disaster Management, SASTRA (deemed university), Department of Earth Sciences, Tamil University, Central Mining Research Institute, Geological Oceanography,National Institute of Oceanography, Centre for Geo-Technology and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, revealed.

The study was conducted from Poompuhar to Nagore in the Central coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, G Victor Rajamanickam, one of the members of the team, said recently at a meeting on the study.

Though earthquakes measuring 7 or 8 in the Richter scale 'might occur now and then, they will not be a cause for tsunami', the study said.