Entire Himalayan Arc including all of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh Now Under “Super – Critical” Risk Category Zone -1V, explains Jammu University’s Geologist
Dr Yudhbir Singh
I have always believed that while our scientific community works tirelessly for the safety of society, their efforts are only truly effective if we all work together to address recent geological developments.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has taken a landmark step toward national safety by releasing the updated Seismic Zonation Map of India as part of the 2025 Earthquake Design Code (IS 1893). This update is the result of over two decades of research and represents a major overhaul of how we assess earthquake hazards.
The most striking change is the introduction of a new, “super-critical” risk category – Zone VI -which now includes the entire Himalayan arc, including all of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. This reclassification should not be seen as a cause for panic, but rather as an urgent early warning to correct our future actions and building practices at every level.
This paradigm shift acknowledges that previous systems underestimated the extreme tectonic stress building up along the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet. For years, India was divided into four seismic zones (II to V), but the new system groups the country into five zones to account for the highest-risk areas. Zone VI is specifically designed for regions where earthquakes could exceed a magnitude of 8.0. The inclusion of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in this zone is critical because geologists have long warned of “seismic gaps” in the northwestern Himalayas.
These are sections of underground faults that have not ruptured for centuries and are effectively “locked,” storing massive amounts of energy that could be released at any time.
Because of these findings, we must rethink our current approach to safety and infrastructure. Every district in Jammu and Kashmir now falls under the highest risk category of Zone VI. Previously, our region was split between different zones, which often led to inconsistent safety measures. Now, the new code mandates that upcoming structures in J&K be designed to withstand “pulse-like” ground motions.
These occur very close to fault lines and can be twice as destructive as standard seismic waves. Existing and planned infrastructure in urban centers like Jammu and Srinagar must now be reassessed under much stricter building regulations. In areas with high population density, adhering to these scientific findings is no longer optional; it is a matter of immediate public safety.
The 2025 seismic map also introduces the “Boundary Town Rule,” a critical change that eliminates the “gray areas” where building codes were often relaxed in growing suburban fringes. By removing these loopholes, the new map ensures that safety standards are applied more uniformly across the Himalayan region.
While the Himalayas are at the center of this update, the map also reveals that nearly 75% of India’s population now lives in regions vulnerable to significant ground shaking, a sharp increase from previous estimates of 59-61%.
For the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the transition to Zone VI means that earthquake-resilient construction is no longer just a “best practice”; it is a legal and survival necessity.
As the Indian Plate continues to push into Eurasia at a rate of 5 cm per year, the question is no longer if a major earthquake will occur, but how prepared our buildings and society will be when it happens.
The transition to these stringent new safety standards is being bolstered by the proactive leadership of the Seismology Division, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India. Under the guidance of Honorable Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Ministry has been working tirelessly to equip the scientific community with necessary support to navigate this changing seismic landscape.
By consistently sanctioning research grants and providing state-of-the-art scientific instruments, MoES has enabled the precise recording of seismic activities across the Himalayan arc and to the University of Jammu in the past. This institutional support is vital; the data generated from these projects not only refines our understanding of the “locked” faults but also provides the empirical evidence needed to implement the new Zone VI regulations effectively.
As we move forward, the continued synergy between government funding and localized scientific expertise will be the cornerstone of our strategy to ensure the safety and resilience of the people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The Writer of This Article is Dr Yudhbir Singh, Associate Professor in the Department of Geology, University of Jammu, J&K, India.
