SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has been placed in the country’s highest seismic risk category under a newly notified earthquake design code, the government informed the Assembly on Monday, signalling a major shift in how the region’s vulnerability to earthquakes is officially assessed and managed.
Responding to a starred question by MLA Salad Shaheen, the government said the revised standard issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards categorises the entire Union Territory under the newly created Seismic Zone VI, indicating the highest level of earthquake risk. The classification follows the notification of IS 1893 (Part 1): 2025, which introduces an updated hazard map for the country.
Officials said that, as a consequence of the new classification, all districts across Jammu and Kashmir are now treated as uniformly vulnerable, with no internal gradation of seismic risk. The shift has triggered a mandatory process of structural audits and evaluations for both existing and upcoming infrastructure, particularly critical assets such as schools, hospitals, bridges and tunnels.
The government stated that these audits are being carried out by the Design Inspection and Quality Control wing, which has been designated as the technical authority for assessing compliance with earthquake-resistant standards. In the wake of the 2025 floods, more than 11,600 school buildings have already undergone safety audits, with structurally vulnerable buildings being identified for retrofitting. The Public Works (R and B) Department has been tasked with executing these interventions in accordance with prescribed engineering standards.
Even as the government pointed to ongoing compliance efforts, it acknowledged that earthquake preparedness remains a work in progress, particularly in the absence of a fully developed early warning system. While the National Centre for Seismology continues to monitor seismic activity through a nationwide network of stations and provides real-time data, officials said research on an earthquake early warning system for the Himalayan region is still at a nascent stage.
On the response side, the government outlined an existing multi-agency framework involving district disaster management authorities, the State Disaster Response Force, police, fire services and civil defence units, supplemented by support from the Army and central forces during major emergencies. It also highlighted efforts to strengthen local response capacity through the Aapda Mitra scheme, under which more than 2,100 volunteers have been trained across 13 districts, while over 10,000 individuals underwent disaster response training during 2025 alone.
Emergency shelter arrangements, the government said, rely primarily on public infrastructure such as schools, panchayat buildings and community halls, which are activated during disasters. Parallel efforts to build awareness and preparedness include regular mock drills in educational institutions and coordinated campaigns to sensitise communities to disaster risks.
Despite the heightened risk classification, the government indicated that a comprehensive, long-term seismic risk mitigation plan is yet to be finalised. It said a committee of experts has recently been constituted to undertake a Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for the Union Territory, and its work is currently underway.
The disclosure places Jammu and Kashmir among the most seismically vulnerable regions in the country under the new framework, even as authorities move to align infrastructure and preparedness mechanisms with the upgraded risk profile.
