15 Districts in Odisha Classified as Moderate Earthquake Zones

Bhubaneswar: According to the Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Sudam Marndi, 15 districts in Odisha, India, have been classified as moderate earthquake zones. The classification is based on the Earthquake Hazard Zoning Atlas of India (2016), published by the National Disaster Management Authority Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. These districts fall under Zone-III, signifying moderate intensity earthquake risk. The districts include Puri, Khordha, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj.

The remaining districts in Odisha are categorized as Zone-II, representing low damage risk zones in the event of an earthquake.

Measures to Address Earthquake-Related Disasters in Odisha

In response to a query from Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati regarding government initiatives to address earthquake-related disasters in Odisha’s vulnerable areas, the minister highlighted several measures.

• Public awareness programs and training sessions have been conducted under the Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Programme (UEVRP) in various urban areas of the state.
• Engineers from different departments and master masons have received training in earthquake-resistant construction techniques.
• Primary school students in Odisha are being educated about earthquakes through curriculum integration, ensuring that they are informed and prepared for potential seismic events.