A Tectonic Shift in Thinking to Build Seismic Resilience

India faces an urgent and intensifying threat from seismic activity. A fundamental change in approach, is imperative to build resilience against earthquakes

Background

• The tremors that were felt in Delhi on July 10, 2025, at 9.04 a.m. with a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter Scale — as reported by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) — are a wake-up call for India’s seismic vulnerability.
• The epicentre, which was located approximately 20 kilometres southwest of the city at a shallow depth of five kilometres, did not cause significant damage but but exposed the fragility of the capital’s infrastructure, where over 80% of buildings, especially those pre-dating the year 2000, fail to comply with seismic codes.
• The July event follows a series of earthquakes across Asia since March 2025, including the devastating quake in Myanmar and Thailand (magnitude 7.7), tremors in Tibet and Greece, and recurring seismic activity along the India-Myanmar border. 
• As India sits on one of the world’s most tectonically active plates, the urgency to build seismic resilience has never been greater.

India’s Vulnerability to Earthquakes

• India’s seismic risk stems from the northward drift of the Indian Plate, which is continuously colliding with the Eurasian Plate at a rate of 4 to 5 centimetres per year. 
• This collision has shaped the Himalayas, a region long overdue for a “Great Himalayan Earthquake” of magnitude 8 or higher. 
• Such an event could impact over 300 million people across northern India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
• Delhi, a major metropolitan area, lies in Seismic Zone IV, a high-risk category, perilously close to this active tectonic frontier. 
• Its peak ground acceleration (PGA) factor is 0.24g, indicating significant ground vibrations during an earthquake. 
• The city is home to an estimated 3.5 crore (33.5 million) residents and over 5,000 high-rise buildings. 
• A critical concern is that over 80% of Delhi’s infrastructure, particularly buildings constructed before 2000, do not comply with mandatory seismic codes like the Bureau of Indian Standards’ IS 1893:2016 Code, which requires ductile detailing and shear walls.

Beyond Delhi, other regions in India also face significant threats

• India’s seismic zones range from Zone II to Zone V.
• The Northeast, including Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram, falls into Zone V (very high risk, PGA 0.36g+, and has experienced the ripple effects of seismic activity from Myanmar.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, also in Zone V, are highly prone to tsunamis following subduction zone activity, as tragically demonstrated in 2004.
• Many of India’s major cities, including Delhi and Guwahati, are built on river banks.
  • The soil in these areas is often unconsolidated and prone to liquefaction, where strong vibrations can cause the soil to behave like a liquid, leading to structural collapse.
• Historical events like the Bhuj earthquake of 2001 (Mag 7.7, over 20,000 deaths) and the Nepal earthquake of 2015 (Mag 7.8) serve as stark reminders of the catastrophic potential of unpreparedness.

The Imperative for a Tectonic Shift in Thinking: The increasing danger posed by rapid urbanisation and non-compliant older structures demands immediate and resolute action. A proactive, preventive approach is non-negotiable.

Key strategies for building seismic resilience

• Rigorous Enforcement of Seismic Codes: This is the single most critical step. The current widespread non-compliance with building codes is a major vulnerability.
• Retrofitting Older Buildings: Implementing measures such as steel jacketing and reinforcing damaged structures in older buildings is essential to enhance stability.
• Mandating Deep Pile Foundations: This must be enforced in vulnerable areas to provide stronger support for buildings.
• Adopting Stringent New Construction Standards: New buildings must incorporate high-strength concrete (30-40 MPa) and ductile detailing in their designs.
• Preventing Construction in Vulnerable Zones: Construction must be halted in river floodplains to avoid the risks associated with liquefaction-prone soils, particularly in cities like Guwahati.
• Public Education and Awareness: Citizens must be educated on:
  • The importance of emergency kits.
  • Safe building practices.
  • Effective evacuation plans. 
  • The National Center for Seismology (NCS) provides early warnings via the IndiaQuake app, but public awareness and response to these warnings remain inadequate.
• Developing Community Preparedness: Establishing and training community disaster response teams is vital for effective local-level action during an earthquake.
• Accelerated Compliance Checks: Bodies like the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) must significantly increase and accelerate compliance checks for building codes.
• Strategic Financial Investment: Experts estimate that annual retrofitting investments of ₹50,000 crore are necessary to implement tailored solutions in highly vulnerable regions like Kutch.

Lessons from Global Experiences

• Thailand (Bangkok): Despite a flat-slab collapse, Bangkok experienced mitigated damage in a 2025 earthquake due to its updated seismic codes since 2007 and strong building preparation.
• Myanmar: In contrast, unenforced building codes significantly worsened the earthquake toll in Myanmar in 2025.
• These international lessons are instructive for India. India must avoid the neglect seen in Myanmar and adopt the preparedness demonstrated by Thailand.

Conclusion

India cannot afford any further delay in addressing its seismic vulnerability. The Government of India must lead a national dialogue to ensure stringent enforcement of seismic codes, comprehensive public education, and strategic investment in resilient infrastructure. 

• Building seismic resilience is not merely a technical task; it is a moral duty to protect lives and livelihoods.