India’s revised seismic map places the entire Himalayan arc in the newly created highest-risk zone (Photo: File)
India's revised Earthquake Design Code is the most comprehensive revision of seismic planning in the country in decades. The new hazard map puts the entire Himalayan arc in the highest-risk Zone VI, a category incorporated for the first time.
This alone indicates the seriousness with which the scientists take the threat now. More than half of India has now been labeled as moderate to high risk-a sharp deviation from previous estimates when several areas were underestimated because of the long periods of quiet between major earthquakes.
The Himalayas sit atop one of the world's most restless tectonic boundaries. The Indian Plate continues to press into the Eurasian Plate, moving a few centimeters each year and storing energy deep below the surface.
When that energy is released, the results are often violent. The young geology of the mountains with their fractured rock layers and active faults adds another layer of instability. Long-identified seismic gaps, especially in the central Himalayas, hint at powerful future earthquakes that are overdue.
The revised zonation reflects new research on the way ruptures along the Himalayan Frontal Thrust can leap across segments and impact large foothill cities. Places like Dehradun that once sat at zone boundaries are now automatically placed in the higher-risk category.
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This approach gives engineers a clearer picture of the forces buildings may face, replacing older assumptions with a safer margin for error.
One of the most striking changes is a reclassification of outer Himalayan regions where hidden faults run beneath the expanding towns. Such faults can transfer seismic energy into the lower-lying populated belts.
Hence, many northern states now fall under more stringent design requirements that are meant to guide roads, bridges, schools and hospitals.
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The new map calls for immediate upgrades of older structures and tighter controls on construction near soft-soil zones or active fault traces. With cities in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and western Uttar Pradesh growing at a rapid clip, the stakes for safer design have never been higher.
Experts see this unified approach as long overdue and necessary. India's seismic risk is growing, not because the Earth is changing, but because now more people and more infrastructure sit in harm's way. The new map serves as a reminder that preparedness is not optional. It is a national responsibility.
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Disclaimer: This editorial provides general analysis of seismic policy updates and should not be used as technical or engineering guidance.
