Experts fear major earthquake might hit the Delhi-NCR region:
In the past 2 months, we have already witnessed 11 earthquakes with 6 in the past month. Now the earthquake experts have warned of a major tremor in the coming days in the Delhi national capital region after 10 low to moderate events over one-and-a-half months. Some of the geologists have interpreted these earthquakes as a potential sign of a bigger quake coming up.
Dr. Kalachand Sain, Chief of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, said: “We cannot predict time, place or exact scale, but do believe that there is a consistent seismic activity going around in the NCR region and can trigger in a major earthquake in Delhi.”
The capital of India is situated sits in a highly seismic region and the NCR covers some 573 square miles. Tens of millions of people live in this part of the country
Professor Chandon Ghose (Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu), has warned the effects of a major earthquake in the region could be cataclysmic. He said: “Everyone knows that Delhi-NCR falls under seismic zone-4, and it’s prone to tremors but still most of the builders do not conform to the norms of BIS. “There is a nexus between architects and builders which somehow compromise the stringent earthquake (resistant) codes.
On 29th May, two tremors shook Delhi at magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale. On June 3rd a 4.3 magnitude earthquake also hit southeast of Sohra near the India- Bangladesh border on June 3.
“Most of these earthquakes were of low magnitude measuring from 2.3 to 4.5. However, a series of such earthquakes ostensibly warn of a major earthquake to hit Delhi in the coming days. One of the reasons for increasing numbers of tremors hitting Delhi is that the local fault system here is quite active. Such fault systems around Delhi are capable of producing an earthquake of magnitude around 6 to 6.5,” said Dr A K Shukla, former Head of Earthquake Risk Evaluation Centre, Indian Metrology Department.
As per him, most of the buildings constructed in the Delhi NCR are not earthquake resistant (as per norms) and may be severely damaged in case a high magnitude tremor occurs.
Delhi is also close proximity to the Himalayas; Study reveals that there is a possibility of a few major tremors in the Himalayan region which can severely affect Delhi-NCR.
Most geologists, however, agree there is no way to predict when or where a major earthquake will strike
