List of Earthquake Prone Zones in India

Do you know that more than 50% of the area in India is prone to damaging earthquakes?

Earthquakes that occur in India majorly fall under the category of high frequency, reaching beyond 8.0. The north-eastern zone and the Himalayan ranges are highly prone to great earthquakes that touch the magnitude of 8.0. Moreover, the count of moderate earthquakes is comparatively low.

This article delves more into the phenomenon and highlights the earthquake zones in India. Let’s begin!

What Is an Earthquake?

An earthquake is a phenomenon that involves shaking of the earth’s surface, which results from the release of energy accumulated in lithospheric or crustal plates.

The earth’s surface or crust is divided into seven major plates. These plates are approximately 50 miles thick, which moves slowly and consistently over other minor plates. Due to the sudden violent shaking of moving plates, earthquakes hit the topmost level of the earth, causing seismic waves.

Different Seismic Zones in India

Individuals asking about how many seismic zones there are in India can get complete knowledge from this section.

According to the seismic zoning map of the country, India is divided into four seismic zones. Also known as earthquake zones, these seismic zones are formed on the basis of scientific inputs related to the following:

The Seismicity or the Frequency of Earthquakes in a Region
Earthquakes That Have Hit the Country in the Past

The four zones of earthquake in India, as discussed below:

Seismic Zone II: Zone II is classified as the low-damage risk zone. This is the least seismically active zone, meaning the areas that fall under these zones in India have a low chance of having an earthquake. Zone II covers earthquake-prone areas, which are 41% of India. Here, the Indian Standard (IS) Code allots a zone factor of 0.10.
Seismic Zone III: Seismic Zone 3/III is classified as the moderate-damage risk zone. Here, the IS Code allots 0.16 to this zone. Zone III, or moderate earthquake zone, covers 30% of India.
Seismic Zone IV: Zone IV is considered the high-damage risk zone. The IS Code allots 0.24 to this zone. Moreover, 18% of the total area of the country belongs to Zone IV.
Seismic Zone V: Zone V has the highest risk of damaging earthquakes. The IS Code has assigned a factor of 0.36 for this very high-risk damage zone. Around 11% of India falls under Zone V.

Note: There are are no cities in India which fall under Seismic Zone I

The above-mentioned list of earthquake zones in India gives a comprehensive knowledge of the different zones and total areas they cover. Let us now take a look at the top 10 cities prone to an earthquake.

Top 10 Earthquake Prone Cities in India

Below are listed the 10 earthquake danger zones in India. Take a look!

Guwahati
Srinagar
Mumbai
Pune
Kerala
Delhi
Chennai
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
Patna

Now, let’s talk about the various Indian cities and the earthquake zones they fall under.

The List of Earthquake Prone Zones in India

Take a look at the following table to know about earthquake prone areas in India.

List of Earthquake Prone Areas in India:

Zone II

Cities	States
Ajmer	Rajasthan
Bangalore	Karnataka
Chitradurga	Karnataka
Gulbarga	Karnataka
Jamshedpur	Jharkhand
Bhilai	Chattisgarh
Ranchi	Jharkhand
Allahabad	Uttar Pradesh
Kurnool	Andhra Pradesh
Visakhapatnam	Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad	Andhra Pradesh
Bhopal	Madhya Pradesh
Sironj	Madhya Pradesh
Kota	Rajasthan
Udaipur	Rajasthan
Jaipur	Rajasthan
Jodhpur	Rajasthan
Madurai	Tamil Nadu
Tiruvannamalai	Tamil Nadu
Tiruchirapalli	Tamil Nadu
Thanjavur	Tamil Nadu
Nagpur	Maharashtra
Pondicherry	Pondicherry
Rourkela	Orissa

Zone III

Cities	States
Agra	Uttar Pradesh
Bareilly	Uttar Pradesh
Chitradurga	Karnataka
Bareilly	Uttar Pradesh
Kanpur	Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow	Uttar Pradesh
Ajmer	Gujrat
Surat	Gujrat
Rajkot	Gujrat
Kakrapar	Gujrat
Vadodara	Gujrat
Asansol	West Bengal
Burdwan	West Bengal
Durgapur	West Bengal
Belgaum	Karnataka
Bijapur	Karnataka
Mangalore	Karnataka
Dharwad	Karnataka
Karwar	Karnataka
Bhatinda	Punjab
Patiala	Punjab
Bhubaneshwar	Orissa
Cuttack	Orissa
Coimbatore	Tamil Nadu
Chennai	Tamil Nadu
Kanchipuram	Tamil Nadu
Cuddalore	Tamil Nadu
Dharmapuri	Tamil Nadu
Salem	Tamil Nadu
Jabalpur	Madhya Pradesh
Osmanabad	Maharashtra
Thane	Maharashtra
Solapur	Maharashtra
Mumbai	Maharashtra
Nagpur	Maharashtra
Nasik	Maharashtra
Goa	Goa
Vellore	Andhra Pradesh
Vijaywada	Andhra Pradesh
Nellore	Andhra Pradesh
Thiruvananthapuram	Kerala
Gaya	Bihar

Zone IV

Cities	States
Patna	Bihar
Monghyr	Bihar
Barauni	Bihar
Dehradun	Uttarakhand
Roorkee	Uttarakhand
Pilibhit	Uttarakhand
Nainital	Uttarakhand
Almora	Uttarakhand
Amritsar	Punjab
Ludhiana	Punjab
Baharich	Uttar Pradesh
Bulandshahr	Uttar Pradesh
Moradabad	Uttar Pradesh
Gorakhpur	Uttar Pradesh
Chandigarh	Chandigarh
Gangtok	Sikkim
Darjeeling	West Bengal
Delhi	Delhi
Shimla	Himachal Pradesh

Zone V

Cities	States
Bhuj	Gujarat
Guwahati	Assam
Jorhat	Assam
Tezpur	Assam
Port Blair	Andaman & Nicobar
Srinagar	Jammu and Kashmir
Kohima	Nagaland
Mandi	Himachal Pradesh
Darbhanga	Bihar
Imphal	Manipur

From the above-mentioned list of Earthquake affected areas in India, one can clearly understand that areas that fall under Zone V are more prone to earthquakes. Now, let’s focus on the top 10 cities that are prone to earthquakes in India.

Insurance for Individuals Living in Earthquake Prone Areas

Residents of earthquake-prone regions in India can consider buying an earthquake insurance policy to protect their homes from natural calamity. Moreover, they must note here that an earthquake insurance policy falls under a home insurance policy.

A home insurance policy completely covers the damages caused by natural calamities like earthquakes. You can buy a home insurance policy for a period of one year or the long term. Buying such a plan for your resident can offer the following benefits:

Coverage against losses and damages caused to valuable items in the property
Coverage against losses and damages caused due to earthquake-induced fire

By now, you must have gained a solid understanding of the earthquake zones in India. Therefore, identify the earthquake zone and city you live in and buy an insurance policy accordingly, which will protect you and your home from contingencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ What seismic zone does Ambala fall under?

Ambala (a city in Haryana) falls under seismic zone IV.

✓ Does Rajasthan encounter frequent earthquakes?

No, Rajasthan does not encounter frequent earthquakes as it is a low-risk zone for earthquakes.

✓ Is Assam one of the earthquake prone states In India?

Yes, Assam is one of the earthquake-prone states In India.