The earthquake risk in India is now more severe than ever before, a map released by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) reveals, with 61% of the country’s area moving from low- and high-risk zones III to VI.

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The earthquake threat in India has become more serious than ever before. This has been revealed by a map recently released by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The seismic zonation map has shaken the entire country. In this map, the entire Himalayan range, from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, has now fallen into the highest-risk zone VI. In a way, this is a warning for the people living in these areas.

According to the seismic zonation map, this is such a significant change that 61 percent of the country’s area has moved from low- and high-risk zones III to VI, while 75 percent of the population lives in areas where the impact of an earthquake could prove fatal. Older maps divided the Himalayas into zones IV and V, but new research has made it clear that the plates have been locked here for 200 years, meaning stress is accumulating, and the next major earthquake could be of magnitude 8.0 or greater.

New 2025 Code Applies to New Buildings
The Seismic Zonation Map is part of the IS 1893 (Part 1): 2025 code, which has been implemented across the country since January 2025. Its purpose is to make new buildings, bridges, and highways earthquake-resistant to reduce loss of life and property. According to scientists, it is now believed that major earthquakes occurring in the outer Himalayas could travel southward and reach the Himalayan Frontal Thrust.

New Rules Focus on Safety
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) stated that the new 2025 code should be implemented in all new buildings, as nearly three-quarters of India’s population now lives in earthquake-prone areas. The new rules focus on both structural and non-structural safety. For the first time, a rule has been made that heavy parts of any building, which exceed 1% of its total weight, must be securely secured to prevent injuries from falling during an earthquake.

What is a Seismic Zonation Map?
In simple terms, it divides the country into four main zones based on earthquake risk: Zone II (low risk), Zone III (moderate), Zone IV (high), and Zone V (very high), with a new Zone VI (ultra-high) added. This map is based on peak ground acceleration (PGA), which measures the intensity of ground shaking as a percentage of gravity (g).