Lok Sabha Question No. 1573 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Study regarding Earthquake Prone Areas in Uttarakhand
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Ajay Bhatt

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1573

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 4 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## STUDY REGARDING EARTHQUAKE PRONE AREAS IN UTTARAKHAND

## † 1573.       SHRI AJAY BHATT:

Will the Minister of Earth Sciences be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any study regarding earthquake in earthquake prone areas particularly in Uttarakhand;
- (b) if so, the details and the results thereof;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the details of the steps taken or to be taken by the Government in this regard;
- (e) whether many areas have become earthquake prone due to depleting ground water level;
- (f) if so, the details of such areas identified so far; and
- (g) the steps taken by the Government to make the people aware in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) and (b)  Yes.  National  Centre  for  Seismology  (NCS)  under  the  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences (MoES)  monitors  and  reports  seismic  activity  nationwide  through  the  National Seismic Network by installing 166 permanent Seismic Observatories. A total of 08 permanent  seismic  observatories  have  been  installed  in  the  state  of  Uttarakhand. Details of these observatories and earthquakes occurring in this region and countrywide are available on the website of NCS  (seismo.gov.in). Besides, continuous  data collection,  analysis  of  earthquakes  using  recorded  data is  done  by NCS-MoES for better understanding of seismic stress accumulation/release patterns and  source  processes  of  the  seismically  active  zones.  Additionally,  based  on historical  seismicity,  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  (BIS)  has  developed  a  seismic zoning  map  of  India,  which  classifies  regions  based  on  their  earthquake  risk,  in which Uttarakhand state lies in a seismically active zone (Zone IV and V). The state is  vulnerable  to  seismic  activity  due  to  its  proximity  to  the  tectonic  boundary between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
- (c) Does not arise.
- (d) The Government has taken several steps to mitigate earthquake risks in Uttarakhand:
-  Implementation of the National Disaster  Management  Plan  (NDMP)  for earthquake preparedness.
-  Retrofitting  of  existing  infrastructure  and  buildings  to  make  them  earthquakeresistant.
-  Seismic Microzonation of cities for the new infrastructure establishment.
-  Setting up of temporary seismic network in the area of Joshimath, Uttarakhand.
-  Mapping of high-risk zones and early warning systems.
-  Conducting  earthquake  drills  and  awareness  programs  for  communities  in seismic zones.
-  Encouraging the use of seismic-resistant construction technologies.
- (e) Some of the recent studies advocated the role of fluid injection and withdrawal on seismogenesis but there is no linear correlation between  the occurrences of earthquakes  and  ground  water  depletion  because  the  occurrence  of  earthquakes  is dominantly dictated by the structural heterogeneities and the behaviour of seismogenic faults at the source zones. However, micro to moderate earthquakes get triggered because of inducement of fluid and water.
- (f) Does not arise.
- (g) Several measures are taken to mitigate the risks associated with earthquakes which include,  expansion  of  Seismic  Monitoring  Networks  to  ensure  timely  detection  on earthquakes  and  dissemination  of  alerts,  assigning  the  building  codes  by  BIS  for earthquake-resistant design and construction, particularly in high-risk zones, conducting awareness and Training Programs to educate the public about earthquake preparedness, including drills and  awareness  campaigns  by  National  Disaster Management  Authority  (NDMA)  and  National  Institute  of  Disaster  Management (NIDM)  under  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA),  and  developing  emergency response  and  disasters  management  Plans  at  state  and  district-level.  Additionally, NCS-MoES explains generation of earthquake process  to  public through print and electronic  media  for  public  awareness  to  reduce  public  panic  during  perceptible shaking due to earthquakes.

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