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In response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, provided crucial information on human lives lost in hydro meteorological calamities, including rain and flood incidents during the year 2023-24. The State-wise details of casualties have been reported by the respective State Governments and Union Territories.
According to the data presented, various States and Union Territories tragically lost a total of 1256 lives due to these calamities. Among the most severely affected states, Bihar witnessed a devastating loss of 502 lives, followed by Madhya Pradesh, with 98 casualties reported. Similarly, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were each impacted, resulting in 97 fatalities, making them among the worst-affected regions.
The State Governments conduct damage assessments for 12 notified natural calamities, which encompass rain and floods, and they provide relief assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) that the Government of India has already made available to them, following the approved Items and Norms.
What is hydro meteorological calamities
Hydro-meteorological calamities, also known as hydro-meteorological disasters, are natural disasters that result from the interaction between atmospheric processes (meteorological) and water-related events (hydrological).
Weather-related phenomena primarily drive these calamities, such as heavy rainfall, floods, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons, storms, droughts, and extreme weather events.. The term "hydro-meteorological" combines "hydro" (related to water) and "meteorological" (related to weather) to signify the combined impact of weather and water-related elements in causing these disasters.
Key Points on Hydro-Meteorological Calamities:
- Natural hazards encompass severe natural phenomena, classified into two categories: hydro-meteorological and geological hazards.
- Hydro-meteorological hazards include tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms, floods, and drought, while geological hazards consist of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
- A combination of geological and hydro-meteorological factors causes landslides and avalanches.
States/UTs report hydro-meteorological calamity fatalities 2023-24.
| S.No. | State | Human Lives Lost (No.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 36 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 5 |
| 3 | Assam | 37 |
| 4 | Bihar | 502 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | 28 |
| 6 | Gujarat | 97 |
| 7 | Haryana | 37 |
| 8 | Himachal Pradesh | 97 |
| 9 | Karnataka | 80 |
| 10 | Kerala | 21 |
| 11 | Madhya Pradesh | 98 |
| 12 | Maharashtra | 77 |
| 13 | Meghalaya | 7 |
| 14 | Nagaland | 4 |
| 15 | Punjab | 38 |
| 16 | Rajasthan | 32 |
| 17 | Sikkim | 5 |
| 18 | Tripura | 13 |
| 19 | Uttar Pradesh | 3 |
| 20 | Uttarakhand | 29 |
| 21 | Dadar & Nagar Haveli | 3 |
| 22 | Delhi | 4 |
| 23 | J&K | 2 |
| 24 | Puducherry | 1 |
While these natural calamities have had a significant toll on human lives, the Ministry acknowledges the critical role of the Central and State Governments in disaster management. The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments by providing requisite logistics and financial support.
2023-2024 SDRF funds allocation/release
| State | Allocation of SDRF | Release under SDRF | 1st Installment | 2nd Installment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | 987.20 | 1315.20 | 493.60 | - |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 220.80 | 245.60 | 110.40 | - |
| Assam | 680.80 | 756.80 | 340.40 | - |
| Bihar | 1248.80 | 1664.80 | 624.40 | - |
| Chhattisgarh | 380.80 | 508.00 | 181.60 | - |
| Goa | 9.60 | 12.80 | 4.80 | - |
| Gujarat | 1168.00 | 1556.80 | 1140.00 | - |
| Haryana | 433.60 | 577.60 | 216.80 | - |
| Himachal Pradesh | 360.80 | 400.80 | 180.40 | 180.40 |
| Jharkhand | 500.80 | 667.20 | - | - |
| Karnataka | 697.60 | 929.60 | 348.80 | - |
| Kerala | 277.60 | 369.60 | 138.80 | - |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1605.60 | 2140.80 | 802.80 | - |
| Maharashtra | 2841.60 | 3788.80 | 1420.80 | - |
| Manipur | 37.60 | 41.60 | 18.80 | - |
| Meghalaya | 58.40 | 64.80 | 27.20 | - |
| Mizoram | 41.60 | 46.40 | 20.80 | - |
| Nagaland | 36.80 | 40.80 | 18.40 | - |
| Odisha | 1415.20 | 1886.40 | 707.60 | - |
| Punjab | 436.80 | 582.40 | 218.40 | - |
| Rajasthan | 1307.20 | 1742.40 | 653.60 | - |
| Sikkim | 44.80 | 49.60 | 22.40 | - |
| Tamil Nadu | 900.00 | 1200.00 | 450.00 | - |
| Telangana | 396.00 | 528.00 | 188.80 | - |
| Tripura | 60.80 | 67.20 | 30.40 | - |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1705.60 | 2273.60 | 812.00 | - |
| Uttarakhand | 826.40 | 918.40 | 413.20 | - |
| West Bengal | 892.00 | 1189.60 | 446.00 | - |
| Total | 19,572.80 | 25,565.60 | 10031.20 | 180.40 |
The State Governments are responsible for damage assessments and providing relief assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), following the Government of India's approved Items and Norms. Additionally, in cases of disasters categorized as 'severe nature,' the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) provides additional financial assistance as per established procedures.
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