Rumbling early morning quake jolts Capital awake
A magnitude 4 earthquake shook Delhi early Monday, causing panic and highlighting the city's structural vulnerabilities and need for safety measures.
A magnitude 4 earthquake struck India’s Capital early on Monday morning, uprooting a decades-old tree in a marshy lake and sending panic-stricken residents into the streets, with citizen groups calling it a “warning bell” for the government.
The tremor, which hit at 5.36am with its epicentre beneath Jheel Park in Dhaula Kuan in southwest Delhi, lasted only a few seconds but was felt sharply across the National Capital Region (NCR) due to its shallow depth of 5km.
“The tremors were so sharp that for a moment I believed the house would collapse,” said Om Prakash, 43, who runs a shop adjacent to the DDA park. “It ended abruptly by the time we could figure out anything. If the quake had lasted longer, everything would have flattened.”
Residents reported hearing loud noises before and during the earthquake. Atul Goyal, who heads URJA (United RWAs Joint Action), described it as “something striking against the building.” “Everyone woke up with panic. We could hear a sharp sound as if something was striking against the house but it soon fizzled out. If it lasted longer or was more intense, things could been drastically different,” Goyal said.
He urged the new government to make tough decisions on fundamental issues. “Building safety, clean air, water supply. Even if some tough decisions need to be taken, the new government should go ahead,” he added.
In Vasant Kunj, several kilometres from the epicentre, residents rushed to the streets while others were already out for morning walks. “Delhi sees smaller earthquakes now and then but we haven’t felt such tremors in a long long time. The street dogs started barking and many families rushed to the streets,” said Rajesh Panwar, head of the Vasant Kunj RWA federation.
Delhi, which lies in seismic zone 4 — categorised as a high damage risk zone — faces significant structural vulnerabilities. Municipal officials report that more than 60% of the city’s buildings are over two decades old, with over 75% of construction in corporation areas failing to comply with building regulations, including the more than 1,799 unauthorised colonies.
Several weak zones and fault lines surround Delhi, including the Mathura Fault and the Sohna Fault, making the region particularly susceptible to seismic activity. A larger threat still is posed by Delhi’s proximity to the Himalayas, a mountain range caused by one of the largest tectonic plate collisions in the planet over millions of years, a crush that continues even today, potentially building geologic pressure.
Experts stress that while earthquakes cannot be predicted, the city must focus on preparedness and structural resilience to minimise potential damage from future tremors.
BS Vohra, who leads the East Delhi RWA joint front, warned that areas along the Yamuna (Khadar) are particularly vulnerable. “There have been no drill or emergency trainings. What steps can be taken during medical emergencies at this scale. The new government should plan at decentralised level,” he said, adding that a major earthquake could flatten large parts of Delhi.
In north Delhi, where many residential complexes house senior citizens, the impact was equally concerning. “We felt as if something was wrong. Everyone was left shaken. The guard went home to home to check if everyone was all right,” said Ashok Bhasin, president of North Delhi Residents welfare federation, whose locality includes 450 flats.
In the past, the city’s first responders have struggled to reach the congested lanes and by-lanes of some of the most densely packed neighbourhoods.
He announced plans for the federation to meet with the new government to demand greater attention to structural safety.
The earthquake’s impact was particularly noticeable compared to a similar 2007 tremor in Dhaula Kuan, which originated deeper at 10 kilometres below the surface.