&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Which parts of India are earthquake prone, fall in the most risky zone, and why? WION Decodes")
An earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale hit the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan on Saturday. Mild tremors were also felt in India's Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi-NCR. While the quake did not cause major damage in India, the event has once again put the country's earthquake risk and preparedness in focus.
A moderate intensity earthquake is often felts in several parts of India due to various reasons.
Firstly, Afghanistan lies in an active tectonic collision zone and in the Hindu Kush region are often deep-focus quakes. Secondly, Seismic waves travel efficiently across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and lastly high intensity quakes release enormous amounts of energy, thus its impact is also felt in far off areas, including neighbouring India.
India is divided into four seismic (earthquake hazard) zones by the Bureau of Indian Standards. These zones indicate the expected level of earthquake hazard, with Zone V being the highest risk and Zone II the lowest.
Parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh fall in Zone II, while large parts of Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and parts of northern and western India fall in Zone III, moderate damage risk zone.
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While in the High Damage Risk zone (Zone IV) lies Parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
The highest risk, Zone V regions are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat region and parts of Bihar.
Why are these regions at the highest risk?
Collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, active Himalayan faults, complex tectonics in Northeast India, Intraplate seismicity in Kutch
Subduction zone near the Andaman-Nicobar Islands result in frequent earthquakes in these regions and put them at high risk.
The movement of the Indian Plate is the primary reason for quakes in India, which is highly vulnerable. The ongoing northward movement of the Indian Plate creates stress along plate boundaries and faults, which is periodically released as earthquakes.
How does India monitor and report earthquakes?
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS), with its strong ground network is India’s official nodal agency for monitoring earthquakes. The 24/7 command centre, real-time data streaming via Satellite and the instant public and government alerting makes the agency trustworthy.
Can earthquakes be predicted, what are its limitations?
Scientists can not accurately predict earthquakes but can identify where earthquakes are more likely. They can also estimate long-term probabilities, and issue seconds-to-tens-of-seconds early warnings after an earthquake.
Is India prepared to deal with a major earthquake?
India’s readiness for a major earthquake, given the infrastructure it has is not up to the mark of world standards. Building codes are advance but poorly enforced. There are no early warning and monitoring system in place. Also public awareness and preparedness in this regard is scant.
The NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) is India strongest pillar if any such incident happens.
Other factors that puts India's preparedness in a tight spot is non-engineered and older buildings, inconsistent enforcement of seismic building codes and densely populated urban centres.
