The frequency of earthquakes in the subcontinent indeed raises concerns about preparedness of the country to mitigate their toll. Even as much is being done, many gaps remain.

Infrastructure: Much of India’s infrastructure, particularly in its rural areas, was not built to withstand seismic activity. Ensuring that older buildings can be retrofitted and new constructions adhere to earthquake-resistant codes would be the biggest challenge ahead.

Urban Planning: Rapid Urbanization in the absence of proper planning enhances the risk. High population density and unplanned settlement in seismic zones enhance vulnerability.

Early Warning Systems: Early warning systems in India are far from satisfactory. Though it has improved over time, timely dissemination of information and effective channels of communication become very important for reducing casualties.

Public Awareness: The public is not aware and sensitized about earthquake preparedness. Periodic drills, information campaigns amongst people, and community participation would help enhance response at the time of emergency.

Policy and Implementation: The policies need to be more robust, and their implementation has to be stricter. This will help a lot in building preparedness toward facing any future eventuality through coordination between different agencies of the government with timely availability of resources and strict adherence to the safety regulations.

Inbuilt efficiency of the emergency response mechanisms through trained personnel and adequate resources is necessary in itself for immediate relief and recovery efforts post-disaster.

Such gaps should be appropriately taken on board to significantly improve the resilience of India to earthquakes, resulting in saved lives and economic losses.