In the early hours of 17 February 2025, an earthquake with a magnitude 4 occurred near Jail Park in Dhola Kawan, New Delhi, at a depth of 5 km, which was strongly felt throughout the Indian National Capital Region.The seismicity of the New Delhi area has actually shown exceptional qualities over the previous 30 years.
Out of 26 earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 4 in the location around New Delhi in the past 20 years, 24 occasions relate to the last 12 years and after 2012.
This seismicity reveals a focus on the western side of Delhi in the area of the comprehensive groundwater abstraction area.This area remains in the moderate to high earthquake danger category in the seismic zoning map of India New Delhi.Historically, New Delhi has actually experienced numerous significant earthquakes.
Notable earthquakes consist of the 1720 magnitude 6.5 earthquake and the 1956 magnitude 6.7 Bulandshahr earthquake.
In the previous 30 years, specifically from the mid-1990s to 2025, minor to moderate earthquakes have actually affected New Delhi.The Uttarakhand earthquake (1991) of magnitude 6.8 affected northern India.
The 1999 Chamoli earthquake (6.6) likewise had effects in New Delhi.The 2015 Gorkha-Nepal earthquake (7.8) caused tremors in northern India, consisting of New Delhi.
Hence, in recent years, these occasions show that New Delhi itself has not skilled major earthquakes straight, but has been shaken and susceptible to tremblings from nearby areas such as the Himalayas.Over-extraction of groundwater in Delhi has actually caused substantial land subsidence.
Radar sensing units have revealed that Delhi has actually been undergoing an average deformation of 15 mm per year.Groundwater level information likewise show a subsidence of 20 cm in some locations over the previous two decades.
The subsidence rate of 1117 cm each year near Indira Gandhi International Airport is linked to the compaction of aquifers as the groundwater table drops.This subsidence changes the circulation of subsurface stress and possibly destabilizes fault systems.Excessive pumping lowers the negative pressure in aquifers, triggering clay layers to compress and the ground to sink.
Land subsidence in the New Delhi region has been a growing issue over the previous 3 decades, affected by numerous human and natural elements.
The rate of land subsidence is primarily affected by groundwater extraction, urbanization, and geological conditions.Historically, New Delhi has experienced considerable land subsidence due to fast city advancement and increasing demand for water resources.
Groundwater extraction has been a major factor to this phenomenon.Studies conducted in the early 1990s showed that the city was experiencing subsidence rates of 1 to 2 cm per year in specific locations.
In recent years, satellite-based remote sensing technologies, such as Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), have offered more precise measurements of land subsidence in urban areas, consisting of New Delhi.Research released around 2020 showed that particular parts of New Delhi are experiencing greater rates of subsidence, with some areas showing rates of more than 5 cm each year to about 20 cm per year.As of February 2025, studies reveal that while some areas continue to experience significant ground subsidence, ongoing research utilizing sophisticated innovations suggests that ground subsidence stays a crucial concern for metropolitan planning and sustainability in New Delhi.While subsidence itself does not directly cause earthquakes, it can regulate tension on pre-existing faults.
The Delhi ridge and the Aravalli fault system are currently seismically active, and stress modifications due to subsidence might impact fault stability.
Quick urbanization in Delhi has actually presented non-tectonic horizontal compression due to the cumulative weight of structures and facilities.
Groundwater dynamics can support or destabilize faults.In locations with heavy groundwater withdrawal (such as Kapashera), stress due to subsidence can control, and seismic vulnerability also increases.Delhis area in seismic zone IV (moderate to high threat) and its soft alluvial soil amplify seismic waves, making moderate tremblings (e.g.
the 2025 Dhowla Kwan earthquake of magnitude 4) more strongly felt.The shallow depth of the 2025 earthquake (5 km) magnified its effect around the center, as the seismic waves dissipated less energy before reaching the surface.
Areas like Kapashera, which are presently going away due to the loss of groundwater, lie near a fault zone.Changes in stress in this location can reactivate dormant faults.
More than 80% of structures in Delhi are not earthquake-resistant, increasing the risk of collapse throughout shaking.