India’s Roadmap to Becoming More Disaster-Resilient Against Earthquakes

Earthquakes strike India with special frequency due to the fact that 59% of its surface area shows seismic sensitivity. The country experienced 159 earthquakes during November 2024 through February 2025 resulting in a magnitude 4.0 earthquake that hit Delhi on 17th February 2025. The Indian government established NDMA along with NDRF and SDMAs through proactive measures under the Disaster Management Act of 2005. The development of the BhooKamp app and the enhancement of the EDRI project and addition of seismic observatories make up the central strategies for earthquake preparedness in India.

Introduction:

• The recent earthquake occurrences have proved India needs enhanced disaster readiness protocols. 

• The crustal stress accumulation inside the Earth produces earthquakes that lead to massive destruction of human settlements when they impact residential areas. 

• The seismic mapping of India by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) identifies four zones which include Zone V as the most dangerous area extending into areas near the Himalayas. 

• The number of catastrophic earthquakes throughout India during previous years demonstrates why better safety protocols must be put in place.

Earthquake Vulnerability and Risk in India

• About 59% of the Indian landmass shows signs of being susceptible to moderate and severe earthquakes as it stands at or above MSK (Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale) Intensity VII.

Tectonic Sub-regions

• The tectonic sub-regions of India include three main domains.

  • The Himalayas to the north

  • The Ganges and other river plains

  • The Peninsula

• Earthquake experts classify the entire Himalayan Region as a high-risk zone because Indian Plate subduction underneath Eurasian Plate results in earthquakes exceeding 8.0 on the Richter Scale.

• Some historically intense earthquakes:

  • Shillong, 1897 (M 8.7)

  • Kangra, 1905 (M 8.0)

  • Bihar–Nepal, 1934 (M 8.3)

  • Assam–Tibet, 1950 (M 8.6)

• The existence of seismic gaps throughout the Himalayan axis became known to researchers because strain builds up towards future major earthquakes in these regions.

• Earthquakes happen frequently in the peninsular region because of its intra-plate faults together with internal deformation of the Indian Plate.

Aggravated Risk Factors

• Urbanization and infrastructure expansion in high-risk areas

• Mining activities

• Inadequate earthquake-resistant construction

Earthquake Zones in India

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has systematically organized India into four seismic zones to identify different levels of seismic hazard conditions.

Seismic Zones of India

• Zone V (Very High Damage Risk Zone)

  • Sections of Jammu & Kashmir along with Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Northern Bihar as well as Northeastern states and Andaman & Nicobar Islands fall under this category.

• Zone IV (High Damage Risk Zone)

  • Includes: Parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi, Sikkim, parts of Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

• Zone III (Moderate Damage Risk Zone)

  • Includes: Kerala, Goa, Lakshadweep, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

• Zone II (Low Damage Risk Zone)

  • Includes: Remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Impacts of Earthquakes

• Economic impact in earthquake events relates to three essential components namely residential population distribution and state of local infrastructures together with emergency preparedness strategies. Some common effects include:

• Most Indian earthquake deaths from the previous decades stemmed from collapses of buildings.

• Surface rupture combined with ground displacement leads to serious damage of roads, pipelines and railways.

• Undersea earthquakes create destructive tsunamis as a result.

• Infrastructure destruction occurs due to liquefaction processes that reduce soil strength.

• Earthquakes lead to extensive fires because of gas leakages combined with electrical systems failures.

• Livelihood disruption: Economic setbacks due to business closures and job losses.

Major Earthquakes in India:

• 1905 Kangra Earthquake (Magnitude 8.0): Resulted in 19,800 fatalities in Himachal Pradesh.

• 2001 Bhuj Earthquake (Magnitude 7.9): Led to 12,932 deaths and destruction in 890 villages.

• 2025 Delhi Earthquake (Magnitude 4.0): Highlighted the need for ongoing preparedness and mitigation.

Government Initiatives for Earthquake Safety:

• Increased Seismic Observatories: Expanded from 80 in 2014 to 168 by February 2025.

• BhooKamp App delivers instantaneous notifications during seismic events including seismic updates.

• Program EDRI (Earthquake Risk Indexing) evaluates earthquake danger zones across 50 cities and aims to add 16 more cities to its evaluation framework.

• National Policy on Disaster Management: Focuses on preparedness, mitigation, and response strategies.

• Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) functions as an operational arm of India because the nation provided support to Turkiye and Syria after earthquakes struck these countries during 2023.

Key Government Agencies for Earthquake Preparedness

• Since 2005 when the Disaster Management Act passed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) expanded its operations through the creation of 16 additional battalions prepared for disaster rescue missions.

• The National Centre for Seismology has maintained its operations since 1898 to track seismic disturbances and continues developing earthquake alert systems.

• NDMA operates under Prime Ministerial leadership to create disaster management guidelines which the government collaborates with State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs).

• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) establishes disaster preparedness through training people and conducting research while developing policy frameworks.

Key Earthquake Safety Measures and Research Initiatives:

• Guidelines for Earthquake Safety: Includes the 2019 Home Owner’s Guide and 2021 Simplified Guidelines for constructing resilient buildings.

• The development of Earthquake Early Warning systems remains active for the Himalayan region but no specific details are provided regarding progress.

• Earthquake Risk Indexing (EDRI) evaluates different metrics including hazard level and vulnerability and exposure to provide guidance for Indian city risk reduction programs.

Conclusion

To enhance earthquake preparedness India directs its efforts toward developing government policies and safety guidelines alongside conducting studies for early warning systems. Public safety depends heavily on joint work between organizations and community education programs to both lower hazards and protect people from harm. People need to stay both informed and prepared along with essential infrastructural improvements. A combination of population awareness and infrastructure resistance creates the base needed to minimize earthquake damage and create safer conditions for the future.