NGRI Chief Scientist and geological experts has warned that Indian tectonic plates are moving 5 cm every year, which is leading to stress among the Himalayas and increasing the chances of major seismic events in coming days like, earthquakes.The chief scientist and seismologist at the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), said, “The Earths surface comprises various plates that are constantly in motion. The Indian plate is moving about 5 cm every year, resulting in the accumulation of stress along the Himalayas and raising the possibility of major earthquakes.”He added, “In Uttarakhand, there is a robust network of 18 seismograph sites. An earthquake could happen at any time in the area, known as the seismic gap between Himachal and the western portion of Nepal, which includes Uttarakhand.”The National Institute for Seismology reported that a 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck 56 kilometres north of Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, at 10:38 p.m. on February 20, 2023.The official stated that the epicentre was 10 kilometres below the surface of the earth. Another earthquake occurred on February 19, in Nandigram in Andhra Pradesh, no causalities reported in the incident.The possibility of a much greater earthquake occurring is a serious problem that needs to be addressed right away. Because this catastrophe could happen suddenly, precautions must be taken to lessen its effects.Earthquake due to climate changeMany factors, including climate change, might increase the frequency of earthquakes and, consequently, the risk of tsunamis.First, its possible that the weight of the ice sheets is preventing earthquakes and fault movement. As the crust adjusts to the reduction of weight when the ice melts, there is an increase in earthquakes and fault movement along with the isostatic rebound (land uplift).In Alaska, where melting glaciers decreased fault stability and led to numerous small earthquakes and potentially the magnitude 7.2 St Elias earthquake in 1979, we may have already witnessed this.Low air pressure brought on by storms and typhoons is another element that, according to studies, might cause earthquakes in regions where the Earths crust is already stressed. Even very low pressure can trigger fault movements, the earthquakes in year 2002 and 2007 in western Taiwan are examples of this.The comprehensive list of earthquake zones in India is provided below:Using Modified Mercalli (MM) intensity, which assesses the effects of earthquakes, the zones are identified. The department has combined the low hazard zone, or Seismic Zone I and Seismic Zone II, because of the low density.Zone II, also known as the Karnataka Plateau, includes the peninsula area. It belongs to the low-intensity group. It covers 40.93 percent of the countrys total land area.Zone III, The state includes parts of Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa, and Tamil Nadu in addition to Kerala, Goa, and the Lakshadweep Islands. This area, which makes up 30.79 percent of Indias land area, is moderately intensive.Zone IV, The high density zone is where this area is located. 17.49 percent of the land area is covered by it. It includes all of Jammu & Kashmir, the remaining territory of Himachal Pradesh, the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, Sikkim, the northern regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, the western coast of Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.Zone V, North Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are included in its scope. The zone classification for this area includes a very severe zone. 10.79 percent of the area is covered by it.
