Delhi experiences tremors every 3-4 weeks which are a cause of concern for its residents. There were two episodes of seismic activity in 15 days in Delhi. An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 struck in Haryana , Faridabad on Sunday also strong tremors were felt through the capital after there were series of earthquakes, the strongest one was of magnitude 6.2 which shook Nepal too on October 3. Why Delhi ? The National Centre for Seismology said the one in Faridabad had its epicenter 9 the km to the east and 30 km southeast of Delhi.
Why is Delhi so Earthquake Prone?
The answer to this is that India is located in a seismically active region. But with a lot of microearthquakes occurring every day, the stored-up energy gets released. What are earthquakes, how do they happen? An earthquake is the violent shaking of the ground and everything over it. After an earthquake occurs there are also aftershocks which keep coming to the place for few days.
They may vary in intensity. An earthquake occurs from the “release of accumulated stress of the ground ” The earth’s crust is divided in 7 major plates that are moving slowly and continuously over its interior and there are also several minor plates. The moving plates are responsible for the occurrence of earthquakes and the shaking. This is especially true for India, with its increasing population and rampant construction that puts the country at high risk as there are many earthquakes which have claimed lives in India.
Especially the northern region is known as seismic zone in India. According to the website of The NDMA in the last 15 years, India has experienced 10 major earthquakes resulting in more than 20,000 deaths. Seismic Zones of India Zone V: 11% (most active) Zone IV: 18% Zone III: 30% Zone II: 41% (least active) Delhi lies in zone 4 of seismic zone activity.
