 |
| Earthquake Zones in India/Image Credit: MoES |
India is divided into multiple seismic zones based on the level of seismic activity and the vulnerability to earthquakes. These zones are designated as Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, and Zone 5, with Zone 5 being the most seismically active.
Zone 5: This zone is considered the highest-risk zone for earthquakes in India. It includes areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, northeastern states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura), and parts of the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
Zone 4: This zone is classified as a high-risk zone and includes areas of Gujarat (except for the Rann of Kutch), parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, northern parts of West Bengal, Sikkim, the northern plains of Uttar Pradesh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Zone 3: It is classified as a moderate-risk zone and includes parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (except for the northern plains), Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal (except for the northern parts), Chhattisgarh, Odisha, parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka.
Zone 2: This zone is classified as a low-risk zone and includes the remaining areas of the country that are not covered in Zones 5, 4, or 3. This zone includes parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, and the Lakshadweep Islands.
Since Zone 1 is not used in the current classification of India's seismic hazard zones, no part of India is classified as Zone 1.
Some major cities in high-risk earthquake zones include Srinagar, Shimla, Dehradun, Guwahati, Gangtok, Patna, Kolkata, Siliguri, Lucknow, and Chandigarh. These cities have a higher likelihood of experiencing significant seismic activity.
Due to the seismic activity in India, it is essential for people living in earthquake-prone zones to be prepared. This includes creating awareness, constructing buildings that adhere to seismic codes, retrofitting older structures, and conducting regular drills and exercises to educate people about earthquake safety measures.