The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences has significantly bolstered its infrastructure since its establishment in August 2014, expanding the number of seismic observatories from 84 to 168 operational stations, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. These observatories provide real-time data reporting through VSAT connectivity.
The NCS issues monthly earthquake summary reports accessible on its website, covering seismic activities comprehensively. Since April 2020, the NCS has issued 39 reports on major or significant earthquakes. Additionally, between January 2020 and June 2025, the centre disseminated information on 80,029 earthquakes within the geographical grid of 0-40°N and 60-100°E to relevant authorities.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences, through the NCS, has also advanced seismic microzonation efforts based on guidelines framed by the ministry. Seismic microzonation studies have been completed for cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Dehradun, Ahmedabad, Gandhidham, and Gangtok in Sikkim. Since 2018, approximately 30 additional cities, such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, and Mangalore, have been included in the program. Cities like Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Meerut, Agra, Dhanbad, and Amritsar are in advanced stages of completion. Plans are also underway to initiate seismic microzonation for Sundernagar, Una, Palampur, Shimla, Kangra, and Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.
This information was provided by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.