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'Delhi is prone to earthquakes'

Sunil Jha in New Delhi

New Delhi is prone to earthquakes of moderate intensity and has been placed in 'Zone IV' of the country's seismic map, which is the second most susceptible region.

Chamoli and Uttarkashi, which have witnessed devastating quakes in the recent past, have been placed in 'Zone V'.

An earthquake measuring six on the Richter scale may occur in the capital, said Additional Director-General of the seismological department, S K Srivastava.

However, he refused to say whether a severe quake would hit the capital. ''There is no technology available in any part of the world to predict the place, time or magnitude of the quake,'' he said.

However, a quake of about six on the Richter scale is capable of causing a great deal of damage if its epicentre is closer to earth's surface.

A large chunk of Jammu and Kashmir, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Gujarat, Goa and Orissa also fall under 'Zone IV' of the seismic map.

The capital has during the last one year witnessed several quakes of low and high intensity. On September 15 last year, a quake of 2.7 magnitude hit Delhi which was preceded by an earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale, on May 29 the same year.

On February 21 last year, a quake of 6.5 magnitude shook the capital and other parts of north India. The epicentre was in Hindu Kush mountains (35.9 degrees north and 70.3 degrees east).

''People have to realise that if they are staying in seismically active areas, they should construct houses strictly according to the Bureau of Indian Standards specifications. We can take a cue from Japan in this regard,'' he said.

UNI

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