Seismic Zone by District: Bihar & Jharkhand
Bihar is one of India's most earthquake-prone states. North Bihar lies in the highest zone. Check your district's zone before you design your house.
Bihar at a glance
- Zone V (very high): Araria, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Supaul; parts of East Champaran, Kishanganj, Madhepura and Saharsa
- Zone III (moderate): Arwal, Aurangabad, Bhojpur, Buxar, Gaya, Jehanabad, Kaimur, Nawada, Rohtas
- Zone IV (high): all other districts, including Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Purnia
Jharkhand at a glance
- Zone IV: Sahibganj, Godda
- Zone III: Dhanbad, Bokaro, Giridih, Deoghar, Dumka, Koderma, Pakur, Jamtara
- Zone II: Ranchi, East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur)
- Other districts are zone II or III. Our sources do not confirm which, so this tool uses zone III to stay safe.
What the zone means for your house
In zones IV and V, columns and beams must follow IS 13920 ductile detailing (closer stirrups, proper laps and hooks). Open stilt floors need properly designed columns. Expect about 10–15% more steel than in zone II or III. The 1934 Bihar–Nepal earthquake (magnitude 8.0) badly damaged Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Darbhanga and Munger.
The code in force is IS 1893 (Part 1):2016. A 2025 revision with a new zone VI was withdrawn by BIS in March 2026.
Sources
- IS 1893 (Part 1):2016, Bureau of Indian Standards
- Bihar State Disaster Management Authority: Know Your Risk
- Rajya Sabha answer on seismic zones (2020), for Jharkhand