Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra experienced an earthquake of 3.1 on the Richter scale on Saturday evening that left no major impact in its wake.

The tremors were felt near the Koyna river region, confirmed scientists of the Indian Seismology department. An official from the Delhi headquarters said, "There were slight tremors and nothing major. It is an earthquake prone area."

The earthquake occurred at 7:28 pm on Saturday.u00a0u00a0Dr R V Sharma, deputy director general of the meteorological department (western region) said, "This won't have any effect on any major cities in and around the epicenter and in case there are any further expected tremors, we will come to know about it."

A subterranean laboratory to study and predict earthquakes will be constructed at Koyna in the next two to three years. The lab, the first of its kind in the country, is being seen as a crucial step towards predicting earthquakes to take preventive measures.u00a0

A resident from a nearby village in Ratnagiri said, "I didn't feel any tremors. It must have been a very minor one."u00a0u00a0This is not the first time the Koyna area has suffered an earthquakeu00a0-- recently a moderate earthquake of 6.5 on the Richter scale was felt in the same area. It is believed that the Koyna Dam has contributed to earthquakes in the region.