NEW DELHI, Feb 5: On Tuesday, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha that hydro-meteorological disasters in 2024 resulted in the loss of 2,936 lives across India, with Himachal Pradesh suffering the highest number of casualties. The report from Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, revealed that the state had the most fatalities, with 408 lives lost due to floods, landslides, and other extreme weather events, underscoring the vulnerability of certain regions to climate-induced disasters.

Following Himachal Pradesh, other states that faced significant losses included Madhya Pradesh with 373 fatalities, Kerala at 355, Gujarat with 230, and Maharashtra with 206 deaths. States like Karnataka, Rajasthan, Assam, and Chhattisgarh also recorded substantial fatalities, with Karnataka losing 185 lives, Rajasthan 131, Assam 128, and Chhattisgarh 125. These figures highlight the widespread devastation caused by the extreme weather events that swept across the country.

Minister Rai further disclosed that, according to data gathered from state governments and Union Territories, 3,63,381 houses and huts were damaged, and 61,826 cattle were lost across the nation due to hydro-meteorological disasters. Assam suffered the most severe damage, with 1,56,691 homes affected, followed by Tripura with 67,487 homes damaged and 78 fatalities. Manipur reported 29,369 damaged houses and 11 deaths, while Karnataka and Gujarat faced significant destruction with 22,414 and 20,741 houses damaged, respectively.

Since the Union Home Ministry does not maintain centralized records on the damage caused by such disasters, the figures shared by Rai were compiled from reports provided by respective states and UTs. The Minister reiterated that disaster management responsibilities primarily lie with the state governments, who use the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief operations in accordance with national guidelines.

Additionally, Rai highlighted the role of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), which provides additional financial assistance for disasters deemed “severe in nature.” This support is based on assessments made by Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs), which have been deployed to evaluate the damage in affected states and Union Territories. As of January 27, 14 IMCTs had been dispatched to regions including Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Kerala, Nagaland, Tripura, Gujarat, Telangana, West Bengal, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. Their findings are reviewed by the central government to determine further relief measures and assistance.