New Delhi: Residents of Delhi-NCR woke up to a brief yet unsettling tremor early on Tuesday morning (July 22), as a 3.2 magnitude earthquake struck Faridabad, Haryana, at around 6:00 am. The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed the quake, adding that its epicentre lay in Faridabad at a shallow depth of 5 km below the surface.
“Tremors were felt across Delhi-NCR, but no damage or casualties have been reported so far,” authorities said in a statement.
Series of Earthquakes Raise Concerns
This is not the first time the Delhi region has experienced tremors in recent weeks. On July 10 and 11, two back-to-back earthquakes, measuring 4.4 and 3.7 on the Richter scale, struck near Jhajjar in Haryana, shaking up areas across Gurugram, Rohtak, Noida and central Delhi. This is reportedly the third earthquake in the last 13 days. However, no structural damage was recorded.
Seismologists said that these moderate tremors, ranging between magnitudes 2.0 and 4.5, are a result of ongoing tectonic stress release in the region. The Mahendragarh-Dehradun Fault is believed to have played a key role in the July tremors, given the seismic profile of the area.
Delhi-NCR: A Zone of High Seismic Vulnerability
Delhi and its surrounding areas sit atop a complex network of geological fault lines, including the Delhi-Haridwar Ridge and the Delhi-Sargodha Ridge. This intricate tectonic setup, combined with the broader Indian-Eurasian plate collision, makes the region particularly susceptible to seismic activity.
Classified under Seismic Zone IV, Delhi is considered a high-risk area for earthquakes. While recent quakes have been relatively mild, experts caution that stronger seismic events remain a possibility. Authorities have advised residents to remain alert and follow basic earthquake preparedness guidelines in the event of aftershocks or future tremors.
