LUCKNOW: With the subsidence of land leading to cracks in about a dozen districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, causing panic among the villagers, the State government has sought to allay their fears, saying that the phenomena was not related to seismic activity. Fissures in land, of one metre in depth and about 1.40 feet wide, have been reported mainly in the drought-hit Bundelkhand region. Following a meeting with earth scientists and experts, Chief Secretary Atul Kumar Gupta said that the land subsidence was on account of excessive exploitation of groundwater and inadequate recharge. The meeting, called by Chief Minister Mayawati, was attended by the Senior Deputy General Manager of the Geological Survey of India, Northern Region, P.N. Razdan, DGM Deepak Srivastava and officials of the Groundwater Board. Precautionary measure As a precautionary measure an MEQ (minor earthquake) instrument has been installed at Surajpur village in Hamirpur district for studying the traces of minor tremors in the region. The instruments would be installed in two other villages in the next fortnight. There was no cause for concern, the Chief Secretary told journalists here on Tuesday. He said a Bill would be brought for creating awareness among the people to strike a balance between drawal of ground water and its recharge. Explaining the scientific reason for the fissures in land, Mr. Razdan said that as a result of the depletion in the groundwater level, the inner layer of earth dries up. When it receives rainfall, the aquifer is recharged leading to easing of pressure which generates energy. The energy release causes the land to subside, the GSI official added. Mr. Razdan said studies have found that cracks have surfaced in areas with alluvial soil and in villages situated on the river side. All the village sites had alluvial soil and were close to the river channel. The cracks were first noticed after heavy rainfall on June 9, 2008. The GSI investigations indicated that the cracks developed due to sudden recharge of groundwater due to heavy rainfall over a very short duration.