Why is Delhi-NCR so shaky? How prepared is he for earthquakes?

The Delhi-NCR is in the high seismic hazard zone and is prone to earthquakes. An earthquake of high intensity cannot be ruled out. Such an earthquake would wreak havoc.

Delhi River – NCR is located in the high seismic hazard zone

By Tirthu Banerjee Three consecutive tremors in five days rocked the people of Delhi NCR recently. The looming latent threat the region faces from a massive earthquake is becoming more apparent. Delhi-NCR Airport is located in the high-risk seismic zone and these tremors should serve as a wake-up call for the authorities to step up their disaster preparedness.

How earthquake-prone is the DELHI-NCR region?

Between September 2017 and August 2020, a total of 26 earthquakes of magnitude three or greater were felt in the NCR region. In 2021, five earthquakes shook the population following low-intensity earthquakes or due to aftershocks.

The country has been divided by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) into four major seismic zones – Zone V (high intensity) to Zone II (low intensity) – based on historical seismic activity and a zoning map. Delhi – NCR, Dehradun, Meerut, Amritsar – which were rocked by a 4.1-magnitude earthquake on Monday – and Jalandhar landed in District IV, a very dense area.

Also read | Tremors were felt in Delhi-NCR as 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal

According to one report, Delhi is located near three active seismic fault lines: Sohna, Mathura, and Delhi-Moradabad. Experts say Gurugram is the most dangerous area in Delhi-NCR as it lies on seven fault lines. If these activate, an earthquake of great intensity is imminent. Such an earthquake would wreak havoc.

Seismologists say that because the Delhi-NCR is close to the Himalayas, it feels the changes taking place in tectonic plates. Any earthquake in the Himalayan belt affects Delhi NCR.

On January 26, 2001, the magnitude 8.1 Bhuj earthquake triggered shock waves in Delhi-NCR as well, although the epicenter was far away. More than six decades ago, on August 27, 1960, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook the national capital and had its epicenter along the border between Delhi and Gurugram. Many people were killed in the disaster. Central Public Works Department put the damage at around Rs 5 lakh at that time.

The Mathura earthquake (1803) and the earthquake in Bulandshahr (1956) are two other major earthquakes in recorded history that occurred near Delhi-NCR.

In June 2020, the Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), an institute under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, said that a strong earthquake could not be ruled out in the national capital.

Most vulnerable area in Delhi

At one point, a report by the Ministry of Earth Sciences indicated that most places along the Yamuna River and its floodplains, including East Delhi, would be the hardest hit if a strong earthquake rocked the region.

Lutyens district, where Parliament is located, is also a high risk area as well as the North Campus of Delhi University, Janakpuri, Rohini, Karol Bagh, Paschim Vihar, Sarita Vihar, Gita Colony, Shakarpur, and Janakpuri. Delhi Airport and Hauz Khas fall into the second worst ‘high risk category’.

Also read | Nepal earthquake and tremors in Delhi: What does it mean to be in a seismic zone 4

Another report said that the northwest districts of Delhi are most at risk. In 2014, the “Delhi Liquefaction Vulnerability Map”, based on soil structure, prepared by the Department of Geology of the University of Delhi, revealed that Yamuna Bank, Pitampura, Uttam Nagar, Narela and Punjabi Bagh are vulnerable to a magnitude 6.5 earthquake.

Is Delhi-NCR ready?

High-rise buildings have proliferated in Delhi-NCR in the last three decades. Many of these structures—mostly in unauthorized colonies and settlements—violate specific BIS standards for earthquake resistance for obvious reasons. If a magnitude 6 earthquake hits the area, it is feared that these buildings will collapse like a pack of cards.

In 2020, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in a survey conducted jointly with NCS, Ministry of Geosciences, found that around 90% of buildings in Delhi do not meet seismic zone IV preparedness recommendations.

Only those buildings that meet the standards are constructed to prevent collapse in the event of a major tremor. However, they are not built in such a way as to withstand an earthquake and be immediately reused.

Japan’s earthquake-resistant buildings have stood the test of time, and New Zealand is adopting base-insulation techniques for older buildings. India should learn a lesson or two from these experiences. Laws that make earthquake resistance an integral part of all construction should be enacted. This must be mandatory. Appropriate checks should be carried out on each building every six months.

16 seismometers have been installed around Delhi. They recorded even the lightest earthquakes. However, it is difficult to predict an earthquake, even through remote sensing techniques. Therefore, it is of great importance to have a disaster mitigation policy, specifically focused on earthquakes.

The most important step will be to raise awareness about earthquakes among the ordinary masses. Policy and decision makers have to take things home in the event of an earthquake. Mock seismic exercises are also essential.

edited by:

Tirthu Banerjee

Posted in:

November 15, 2022

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