Over 1,600 died due to rain-related incidents, lightning this year, says Centre
The highest number of deaths was reported from Andhra Pradesh (343), followed by Madhya Pradesh (243) and Himachal Pradesh (195), said Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
Rai said that the Centre does not maintain the data of damages caused by any disasters, including heavy rains and lightning. The data presented in Parliament is based on inputs from states and Union Territories, he added.
In addition to the human toll, 52,367 animals also died in rain-related incidents this year, the minister said, adding that damage was reported from around 1,57,817 hectares of cropped land.
To reduce deaths, livestock loss and damage to infrastructure caused by lightning strikes, the Centre has approved a 'Mitigation Project on Lightning Safety' with a financial outlay of around Rs 186 crore for 50 districts in 10 states, Rai added.
The states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Responding to a question on the information about lightning prevention measures being provided, Rai said that the India Meteorological Department has a system in place for 'seamless monitoring, forecasting and dissemination of warnings' for thunderstorm and lightning hazards.
The department issues warnings up to five days in advance and provides colour-coded nowcasts for thunderstorms at both district and station levels every three hours, the minister said.
According to the Lightning Resilient India Campaign, which works towards reducing deaths by lightning, India has seen a rise in both the number of thunderstorms and the incidence of lightning.
A 2024 paper that analysed lightning-related fatalities between 1967 and 2020 found that in the span of 53 years, lightning had caused a total of 101,309 deaths in India.
Further, the average annual deaths per state and Union Territory had increased, from 38 in the period between 1967 and 2002, to 61 between 2003 and 2020, even though the number of such territories increased by more than ten.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Patnaites feel pocket pinch as vegetable prices rise
Patna: While heavy rain since the last week of July has turned out to be a boon for the cultivators of paddy and other Kharif crops, it is proving detrimental to vegetable cultivation, leading to a sharp increase in their prices. Vegetable sellers are buying them at significantly higher rates, which is then passed on to consumers. Dilip Kumar , a local vendor, reported purchasing sponge gourd for Rs 50 per kg on Thursday, which were Rs 44 a day before, okra for Rs 55 per kg and pointed gourd for Rs 60 per kg. Tomatoes, a kitchen staple, are now retailing for Rs 1,600 for 25kg, which were Rs 1,400 earlier. Mukesh Kumar Pandey, a local wholesaler at Mithapur said that sponge gourd, which was sold for Rs 15-20 per kg just 15 days ago, is now priced at Rs 40 per kg. Similarly, the prices of bottle gourd has doubled, from Rs 150-200 for 15 pieces to Rs 300 now. Consumers are, of course, feeling the pinch. A resident of Rajiv Nagar, Anju Devi, said she used to buy a large quantity of various vegetables for a week, but now she had to cut down on it. Another resident, Shobha Rani, said as the prices of vegetables increase every monsoon, they reduce consumption of green vegetables and include more variety of pulses in diet. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Take a Look - How Watching Videos Can Boost Your Income TheDaddest Undo by Taboola by Taboola Abdul Sattar, a senior climate scientist at Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, said the excessive moisture and water stagnation have severely damaged an estimated 20-30% of vegetable crops. "Vegetables growing in medium and low-lying land have been the most affected," he said. The rising water level of river Ganga has further compounded the problem, flooding diyara regions and destroying all crops cultivated there, leading to a decline in overall quality. Cauliflower saplings, which are in the crucial transplanting stage, have also been severely hit. With the meteorological department forecasting heavy rain in the coming days, the soaring prices are expected to continue. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Lightning, drowning, snakebites claimed over 430 lives in Jharkhand in past 3 months: Official
As many as 431 people died in Jharkhand in various disasters, including lightning strikes and drowning, over the past three months, an official said on Thursday. Of the fatalities, 180 were killed in incidents of lightning strikes while 161 drowned during the period, he said. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program "A total of 431 people died in various disasters... in Jharkhand between May 1 and July 31," Disaster Management Department Secretary Rajesh Kumar Sharma told PTI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo Sharma said 80 people died due to snakebites, nine in heavy rain and one in floods. Jharkhand has been experiencing heavy rainfall since June 17, causing damage to life, property and crops. Live Events Altogether, 467 houses were completely destroyed and 8,187 partially damaged, according to an official release. Heavy rainfall also caused crop loss across 2,390 hectares of land in the districts of Ranchi, Gumla, Lohardaga and Simdega , it stated. Jharkhand Disaster Management Minister Irfan Ansari chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to assess the damages caused by the various disasters. He said the state government has allocated immediate funds for disaster relief to all districts. "In the previous financial year, Rs 57 crore was allocated, and in the current fiscal, Rs 44 crore has been disbursed so far," the minister said. Ansari also said that a ' Mitigation Project for Lightning Safety (MPLS)' has been approved to protect lives from lightning strikes. The MPLS will be piloted in 20 panchayats across five districts, including Jamtara, Dumka and Barhait. Under the project, electrical field mill devices will be installed to enable warnings about lightning strikes and broadcast through loudspeakers around three hours in advance, an official said. In a bid to reduce drowning incidents in the state, two divers from each district will be provided specialised training, and iron nets and chains will be installed at major waterfalls, he added. "The government is fully prepared to combat natural disasters - technology, swift relief and human compassion are among our priorities," Ansari said.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Seven houses damaged in landslide in Pithoragarhs Dapha village
Pithoragarh, Aug 7 (PTI) Seven houses were fully damaged in a landslide that occurred Thursday morning in Dapha village of Munsiyari following heavy rains in the district for over a week. The district administration has paid more than Rs 14 lakh as compensation and ex gratia to the people whose houses have been damaged fully, Pithoragarh Magistrate Vinod Goswami, who visited the affected village along with SP Rekha Yadav, said. 'We have distributed a sum of Rs 14,35,000 to all seven villagers whose houses were fully damaged and became unfit for living," Goswami said. A team of geologists has been instructed to study geological situation of the village, he said. Efforts are also underway to treat the canal near which Dapha village is situated, he said. The damaged houses belonged to Mahendra Ram, khushal Ram, Mohan Singh, Ummed Singh, Khushal Singh, Durga Singh and Mohan Singh, all residents of Dapha village. PTI COR ALM ZMN view comments First Published: August 07, 2025, 21:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
