Lok Sabha Question No. 2295 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Occurrence of Earthquakes
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Kalyan Banerjee

- (a) Yes.
- (b) Earthquakes  of  Magnitude  3.0  to  4.9  has  increased  during  2020  to  2024  compared  to 2015 to 2019 indicating stress release and not allowing a accumulation of strain energy sufficiently for more number of earthquakes magnitude beyond 5.0 and above which are more or less similar in that during different durations; as detailed in following table:
- (c) There is no change in seismic zones due to increased seismicity. As per Bureau of Indian Standards  Seismic  Hazard  Zonation  Map  of  the  country  is  grouped  into  four  seismic zones  viz.  Zone-II,  -III,  -IV  and  -V.  Of  these,  Zone  V  is  seismically  the  most  prone region, while zone II is the least based on the distribution of peak ground acceleration.
- (d) This classification helps to improve understanding of seismic risks and better prepare for potential earthquake-related hazards. This zoning system helps in providing more specific recommendations for  building  construction  and  land  use  planning  in  different  regions, especially in areas prone to seismic activities.

| Magnitude Range   |   2010-2014 |   2015-2019 |   2020-2024 |
|-------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| < 3.0             |         424 |         244 |        1344 |
| 3.0-3.9           |        1119 |        1224 |        3205 |
| 4.0-4.9           |        1663 |        2203 |        2408 |
| 5.0-5.9           |         471 |         354 |         263 |
| > 6.0             |          26 |          24 |          19 |

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2295

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 12 TH  MARCH, 2025

## OCCURRENCE OF EARTHQUAKES

## 2295.  SHRI KALYAN BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it  is  a  fact  that  occurrence  of  earthquakes  in  the  country  has  risen  during  the period 2020-2024 in comparison to 2015-19;
- (b) if so, the details of earthquakes reported during the last ten years and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether it is due to changes in seismic zones activities reported during 2010 and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  action  taken  by  the  Government  to  monitor  the  same  and  provide  information  for precautions timely?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

Besides, the Government of India took the following actions to ensure better monitoring and provide timely information

Strengthening  the  Seismic  Monitoring  Network: The  national  seismic  network  was enhanced with the installation of more seismic stations and observatories. This enabled better  detection  and  real-time  reporting  of  seismic  events  across  the  country.  National Centre for Seismology has recently upgraded its national seismic network with the state of art seismographs. This network consists of 166 stations spread across the country and capable of detecting earthquakes of magnitude 3 and above.

Public  Awareness  and  Disaster  Preparedness: The  government  launched  awareness campaigns  to  educate  the  public  about  earthquake  risks  and  safety  measures.  This included guidance on building earthquake-resistant structures and how to respond during an earthquake.

Building  Codes  and  Regulations: The  government  issued  new  building  codes  and construction guidelines based on detailed investigations under Seismic Microzonation of cities in India that focused on making structures more earthquake risk resistant to seismic activities, particularly in high-risk zones (IV & V) to moderate risk zones (II & III).

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