Earthquake Vulnerability Map of India – Seismic Zones Explained

Few of us realise that about 59% of India’s land is prone to earthquakes of different intensities. That is what the Ministry of Earth Sciences told Parliament in December 2022, based on the BIS seismic zone map.

India is not free of earthquakes, and most of us are not ready for one.

Why this matters

Many of our biggest cities and fastest-growing towns, from Delhi, Patna and Dehradun to Guwahati, Srinagar and Gangtok, lie in seismic Zone IV or V, the high-risk zones. Yet many homes, schools and hospitals were never designed or checked to resist an earthquake.

The shaking itself rarely kills. What kills is a building that collapses, a panicked rush down a staircase, or a family that has never thought about what to do.

India’s seismic zones (BIS IS 1893 (Part 1):2016)

Zone	Expected shaking (MSK intensity)	Share of land area	States and regions covered	Example cities and towns
Zone V (very high risk)	IX and above (zone factor 0.36)	About 11%	Entire North-East, parts of J&K, Himachal, Uttarakhand, north Bihar, Andaman and Nicobar, Kutch (Gujarat)	Guwahati, Imphal, Aizawl, Srinagar, Bhuj
Zone IV (high risk)	VIII (zone factor 0.24)	About 18%	Delhi NCR, parts of Bihar, Sikkim, Himachal, parts of Gujarat	Delhi, Patna, Shimla, Dehradun, Gangtok
Zone III (moderate risk)	VII (zone factor 0.16)	About 30%	Parts of most states, including much of the coast	Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar
Zone II (low risk)	VI or less (zone factor 0.10)	About 41%	Large parts of the Deccan plateau and central India	Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Raipur

Sources: BIS IS 1893 (Part 1) seismic zone map and zone factors; land shares from the Ministry of Earth Sciences reply to Parliament, 2022. BIS issued a 2025 revision, IS 1893 (Part 1):2025, but BIS’s own standards portal now lists that edition as withdrawn, so the 2016 zones above remain the reference.

The zones describe expected shaking, not magnitude. “Low risk” does not mean no risk. A badly built building in Zone II can still fall in a moderate quake.

Where to check earthquake data

For recorded earthquakes in India, with magnitude, depth and location, check the National Center for Seismology (seismo.gov.in), the government agency that monitors earthquakes. To find your area’s zone, use the BIS zone map above or ask your municipal building department.

Why the risk to people is growing

1. Buildings that ignore the code. Many new buildings are not designed or checked to the BIS earthquake codes.
2. More people, closer together. Dense cities like Delhi and Guwahati put more lives under each roof.
3. The plates keep moving. The Indian plate keeps pushing north into Asia by a few centimetres a year, building up stress along the Himalaya.
4. Weak enforcement. Building approvals often check paperwork, not the structure.
5. Little preparation. Few families, schools or offices have ever held an earthquake drill.

What your family can do

Before an earthquake

• Find out your seismic zone, and ask your builder or society whether the building was designed to IS 1893 and IS 13920.
• Pick a safe spot in each room: under a sturdy table, or against an inside wall away from windows and almirahs.
• Fix tall almirahs, bookshelves, gas cylinders and water heaters to the wall, and move heavy items off high shelves.
• Keep a three-day kit: torch, water, dry food, first-aid box, medicines, whistle and a charged power bank.
• Practise Drop, Cover and Hold On with your children.

During an earthquake

• Drop to your knees, cover your head and neck under a table, and hold on until the shaking stops.
• If you are in bed, stay there and cover your head and neck with a pillow.
• Stay away from windows, glass, almirahs and outside walls. Do not use the lift.
• Do not run down the stairs while the building is shaking.
• If you are outside, move to open ground away from buildings, trees and power lines.
• If you are driving, stop in a safe place away from flyovers, bridges and trees, and stay inside.

After an earthquake

• Leave the building carefully by the stairs once the shaking stops, and expect aftershocks.
• Do not go back into damaged buildings.
• If you smell gas, close the cylinder valve or main and do not switch on lights or light a match. Switch off the electricity if wires are damaged.
• Help injured neighbours if it is safe, call 112, and do not spread rumours.

What needs to change

• BIS earthquake codes (IS 1893, IS 13920) checked and enforced for every new building, not just on paper.
• Retrofitting of schools, hospitals and important old buildings in Zones IV and V.
• Earthquake alerts sent quickly through official apps and mobile alerts.
• Regular public drills in high-risk districts.
• Community volunteers trained in basic search and rescue, through NDMA and groups like VFF India.

References

• Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 1893 (Part 1):2016, Criteria for Earthquake Resistant Design of Structures (seismic zone map)
• Bureau of Indian Standards: standards portal record showing IS 1893 (Part 1):2025 as withdrawn
• Ministry of Earth Sciences: reply to Parliament on earthquake-prone area, December 2022
• National Center for Seismology (seismo.gov.in)
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) earthquake guidelines

Earthquakes cannot be predicted, but they can be prepared for. This weekend, fix your tallest almirah to the wall and practise Drop, Cover and Hold On with your family.