RIS and reservoirs in the Northwestern and Central Himalayan foothills

There are nine impounded and three under construction tall (height exceeding 100 m) and large (capacity exceeding 1 km 3 ) reservoirs located in the Northwestern and Central Himalayan foothills. Natural earthquakes having magnitudes more than 7 have occurred in their vicinity in the past but there are no reports of reservoir associated seismic activity from a few of these sites which are under seismic surveillance following the guidelines of Indian Standard IS: 4967-1968. Case study of monitoring the seismicity around one site points to the need for rewriting the Standard. Reasons for non-occurrence of induced seismicity in this seismically active environment are discussed.