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Shake It Up: Delhi-NCR Faces Earthquake Tremors, But Are Buildings Safe? Check again
Praveen Agrawal | Feb 27, 2025, 15:17 IST
Delhi Earthquake: Escape from the Tremors
( Image credit : TIL Creatives )
A strong earthquake in Delhi-NCR on Monday morning caused panic. The epicenter was near Red Fort, with tremors strongly felt in various parts. Many residents came out of their homes. This incident raises questions regarding the seismic stability of buildings in Delhi, with previous calls for structural audits by the High Court still pending.
An earthquake rattled Delhi-NCR on Monday morning, prompting residents to evacuate buildings. The National Center for Seismology (NCS) clarified that the tremor was not tectonic, meaning it wasn't caused by the shifting of tectonic plates. The epicenter was 10 kilometers southwest of the Red Fort. The incident raised concerns about building safety and the status of government-mandated structural audits.
Delhi frequently experiences tremors originating from the Himalayas and other distant regions. Historical earthquakes impacting Delhi include a 7.5 magnitude quake in the Himalayas in 1803, a 6.8 magnitude quake in Uttarkashi in 1991, a 6.6 magnitude quake in Chamoli in 1999, and a 7.8 magnitude quake in Nepal's Gorkha district in 2015. Strong earthquakes in the Hindu Kush region also affect Delhi. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck Delhi itself in 1720. Nearby areas have also experienced earthquakes: a 5 magnitude quake in Mathura in 1842, a 6.7 magnitude quake in Bulandshahr in 1956, and a 6.7 magnitude quake in Moradabad in 1966.
OP Mishra, head of NCS, explained that tectonic earthquakes, which occur along fault lines where tectonic plates meet, are significantly more dangerous. Monday's tremor was not of this type.
Residents across the city reacted to the earthquake. Amit Kumar from Karol Bagh described the experience as unlike any he'd felt before, saying, "This kind of earthquake shock I have never felt before. The loud noise along with the strong tremors terrified me. I immediately picked up my child and wife and came out of the building."
Prerna Kochhar from Dwarka did not feel the tremors but heard a noise in her building, initially thinking it was an accident. "I did not feel the tremors of the earthquake, but I heard a noise in the building. I thought some accident had happened. As soon as I peeked out of the balcony, I found out that there was an earthquake and I too came out of the building with my family."
A CCTV footage from the Budh Vihar area went viral, showing car horns going off automatically due to the earthquake. Pooja from Tilak Nagar recalled a similar tremor in 2012. "I felt the same kind of earthquake shock in 2012 as well."
The NCS reported that the tremors were strongly felt in Delhi-NCR. Within an hour, 191 people reported feeling the tremors on the NCS website and app from Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh. The BhooKamp app and www.seismo.gov received 190 responses within the same timeframe.
Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), a measure of ground motion, varied across locations. NPL, Delhi recorded a PGA of 0.049 at a distance of 6 kilometers from the epicenter. Jamia University recorded 0.058 PGA at 10 kilometers, and Narela recorded 0.068 PGA at 24 kilometers.
Officials addressed the loud noise accompanying the earthquake, attributing it to the shallow depth of the tremor, which potentially allowed people to hear the seismic waves. They also acknowledged that in some areas, the perceived loud noise may have been due to people's reactions and movements. No definitive explanation was given.
Dr. OP Mishra commented on the potential benefit of smaller earthquakes. “If these small earthquakes keep occurring, the chances of a major earthquake decrease. When rocks collide with each other with slight intensity under the ground, a part of the energy accumulated below the ground is released. With this happening from time to time, hard rocks break and the possibility of more energy accumulating diminishes.”
The earthquake brought renewed attention to the ongoing issue of building safety audits in Delhi. The Delhi High Court, since 2023, has been awaiting a response from the state government and local bodies regarding the seismic stability inspection of major buildings in the national capital. The court directed them to conduct structural audits of hospitals, colleges, and school buildings, but the status of these audits remains unclear in 2025.
A division bench headed by the Chief Justice, in an order passed on December 5, 2023, stated, "Since, Government hospitals and buildings would be the very places where people will take shelter or seek refuge in the event of an earthquake, this Court directs the Delhi Government and local bodies to carry out structural audit of all their buildings as well as of hospitals, colleges and schools etc. and file a status report.”
The court explicitly ordered that necessary steps be taken within three months. However, little visible progress has been made. The Delhi government argued that steps are being taken to make all buildings in the city earthquake-proof, but the task requires a phased approach due to the presence of numerous old buildings, unauthorized constructions, and unauthorized colonies.
The ongoing proceedings stem from a petition filed by Advocate Arpit Bhargava, who claimed that the seismic stability of buildings in Delhi is poor, posing a risk of widespread devastation in the event of a major earthquake.
Expressing disappointment over the repeated requests for extensions and the prolonged delay in the proceedings, Advocate Bhargava said, “Today we are in 2025, but we still don't know how many buildings the government has been able to audit.” He alleged a lack of seriousness in addressing the issue.
The Delhi government previously stated that out of the 10,000 buildings selected for structural safety checks, 6,000 were issued notices to produce structural safety certificates. 144 unsafe buildings have been demolished. Structural audits of 4,655 buildings have been completed, while retrofitting work is underway in 89 buildings.
Delhi frequently experiences tremors originating from the Himalayas and other distant regions. Historical earthquakes impacting Delhi include a 7.5 magnitude quake in the Himalayas in 1803, a 6.8 magnitude quake in Uttarkashi in 1991, a 6.6 magnitude quake in Chamoli in 1999, and a 7.8 magnitude quake in Nepal's Gorkha district in 2015. Strong earthquakes in the Hindu Kush region also affect Delhi. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck Delhi itself in 1720. Nearby areas have also experienced earthquakes: a 5 magnitude quake in Mathura in 1842, a 6.7 magnitude quake in Bulandshahr in 1956, and a 6.7 magnitude quake in Moradabad in 1966.
OP Mishra, head of NCS, explained that tectonic earthquakes, which occur along fault lines where tectonic plates meet, are significantly more dangerous. Monday's tremor was not of this type.
Residents across the city reacted to the earthquake. Amit Kumar from Karol Bagh described the experience as unlike any he'd felt before, saying, "This kind of earthquake shock I have never felt before. The loud noise along with the strong tremors terrified me. I immediately picked up my child and wife and came out of the building."
Prerna Kochhar from Dwarka did not feel the tremors but heard a noise in her building, initially thinking it was an accident. "I did not feel the tremors of the earthquake, but I heard a noise in the building. I thought some accident had happened. As soon as I peeked out of the balcony, I found out that there was an earthquake and I too came out of the building with my family."
A CCTV footage from the Budh Vihar area went viral, showing car horns going off automatically due to the earthquake. Pooja from Tilak Nagar recalled a similar tremor in 2012. "I felt the same kind of earthquake shock in 2012 as well."
The NCS reported that the tremors were strongly felt in Delhi-NCR. Within an hour, 191 people reported feeling the tremors on the NCS website and app from Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh. The BhooKamp app and www.seismo.gov received 190 responses within the same timeframe.
Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), a measure of ground motion, varied across locations. NPL, Delhi recorded a PGA of 0.049 at a distance of 6 kilometers from the epicenter. Jamia University recorded 0.058 PGA at 10 kilometers, and Narela recorded 0.068 PGA at 24 kilometers.
Officials addressed the loud noise accompanying the earthquake, attributing it to the shallow depth of the tremor, which potentially allowed people to hear the seismic waves. They also acknowledged that in some areas, the perceived loud noise may have been due to people's reactions and movements. No definitive explanation was given.
Dr. OP Mishra commented on the potential benefit of smaller earthquakes. “If these small earthquakes keep occurring, the chances of a major earthquake decrease. When rocks collide with each other with slight intensity under the ground, a part of the energy accumulated below the ground is released. With this happening from time to time, hard rocks break and the possibility of more energy accumulating diminishes.”
The earthquake brought renewed attention to the ongoing issue of building safety audits in Delhi. The Delhi High Court, since 2023, has been awaiting a response from the state government and local bodies regarding the seismic stability inspection of major buildings in the national capital. The court directed them to conduct structural audits of hospitals, colleges, and school buildings, but the status of these audits remains unclear in 2025.
A division bench headed by the Chief Justice, in an order passed on December 5, 2023, stated, "Since, Government hospitals and buildings would be the very places where people will take shelter or seek refuge in the event of an earthquake, this Court directs the Delhi Government and local bodies to carry out structural audit of all their buildings as well as of hospitals, colleges and schools etc. and file a status report.”
The court explicitly ordered that necessary steps be taken within three months. However, little visible progress has been made. The Delhi government argued that steps are being taken to make all buildings in the city earthquake-proof, but the task requires a phased approach due to the presence of numerous old buildings, unauthorized constructions, and unauthorized colonies.
The ongoing proceedings stem from a petition filed by Advocate Arpit Bhargava, who claimed that the seismic stability of buildings in Delhi is poor, posing a risk of widespread devastation in the event of a major earthquake.
Expressing disappointment over the repeated requests for extensions and the prolonged delay in the proceedings, Advocate Bhargava said, “Today we are in 2025, but we still don't know how many buildings the government has been able to audit.” He alleged a lack of seriousness in addressing the issue.
The Delhi government previously stated that out of the 10,000 buildings selected for structural safety checks, 6,000 were issued notices to produce structural safety certificates. 144 unsafe buildings have been demolished. Structural audits of 4,655 buildings have been completed, while retrofitting work is underway in 89 buildings.