Hydrometeorological disasters record highest toll in 5 years: Govt data

The financial year 2023-2024 has been one of the most devastating in terms of losses due to hydrometeorological disasters, with a staggering 2,616 lives lost, which is a record high in the past five years.

This figure represents over 25 per cent of the 10,206 reported fatalities from 2019-2020 to 2023-24, according to the latest government data.

This revelation comes on the heels of the recent deadly landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad that claimed over 400 lives, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced disaster preparedness.
 

The information was disclosed to Parliament on Monday by Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It was in response to a query from Khalilur Rahaman, an All India Trinamool Congress leader, regarding the loss of lives and property due to landslides.
 

In addition to the significant human toll, data from the Ministry of Home Affairs presented by the MoEFCC reported the loss of 316,246 cattle due to these disasters.

The year 2023-2024 alone accounted for the highest number of cattle lost, representing over 37 per cent of the total.

Hydrometeorological disasters — caused by atmospheric, hydrological, or oceanographic processes — include floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, storm surges, heavy rainfall, snowstorms, hailstorms, and heatwaves.

These events not only threaten human lives but also severely impact the environment, health, and economies, often leading to secondary hazards such as landslides and infrastructure damage.
 

The disasters have also resulted in extensive property damage.

A total of over 3 million (3,081,497) houses and huts were damaged, along with 25.7 million hectares of cropped area. This highlighted the widespread impact on livelihoods and agriculture.
 

Madhya Pradesh was the worst-hit state, with 1,498 people losing their lives in the past five years.

The top-10 states saw over 500 deaths each. Besides Madhya Pradesh, these states included Maharashtra, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.