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NEWS ALERTS | Extreme weather events destroying our economy in a big way, indicates official data
Extreme weather events destroying our economy in a big way, indicates official data

Extreme weather events destroying our economy in a big way, indicates official data

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published Published on Oct 14, 2019   modified Modified on May 14, 2021
Sporadic natural events like floods and droughts have made headlines in recent times. An official report, which was released in April this year, among other things, shows that extreme weather events have taken a huge toll on both human and cattle lives, personal property and crops grown by farmers and farm workers.

A chapter on extreme weather events and natural disasters in the report entitled EnviStats India 2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics reveals that more than 2,100 Indians died every year because of extreme natural events between 2001-02 and 2018-19. Almost 14.8 lakh cattle lives were lost and roughly 2.3 crore houses/ huts were damaged owing to extreme natural events in the last 18 years. On an average nearly 37 lakh hectare of cropped area got affected each year by such events during that span. Please check table-1 for details.

Table 1: Year-wise damage due to extreme natural events in India

Table 1 Year-wise damage due to extreme natural events in India

Source: * Annual Report 2018-19, Ministry of Home Affairs, please click here to access

**
Annual Report 2017-18, Ministry of Home Affairs, please click here to access  

*** Annual Report 2016-17, Ministry of Home Affairs, please click here to access

****
Annual Report 2013-14, Ministry of Home Affairs, please click here to access 

Chapter: Extreme Events and Disasters, EnviStats India  2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access
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Table-2 indicates that the total number of deaths due to extreme natural events was 25,066 in 2010, 23,690 in 2011, 22,960 in 2012, 22,759 in 2013, 20,201 in 2014 and 10,510 in 2015. Latest available data shows that lightning was responsible for almost a quarter (viz. 2,641 deaths) of all deaths caused by extreme natural events in 2015, whereas 29.6 percent of such deaths were caused by 'other natural causes' in the same year. Floods, exposure to cold and heat stroke caused 8.0 percent, 10.9 percent and 18.2 percent of all deaths that occurred due to extreme natural events in the year 2015.

Table 2: Number of deaths by type of extreme natural event

Table 2 Number of deaths by type of extreme natural event
Source: Chapter: Extreme Events and Disasters, EnviStats India  2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access

Note: Data in the report entitled EnviStats India 2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics has actually been sourced from Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) reports (various years) of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
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Chart-1 demonstrates that the total number of heat waves in the country increased from 44 during 1970-79 to 226 during 2000-09. Similarly, the total number of cold waves went up from 62 during 1970-79 to 153 during 2000-09. Between 2010 and 2018, the highest number of heat waves were observed in 2017 viz. 524. During the same time span, most cold waves were also noticed in 2017 viz. 276.

Chart 1 Number of heat and cold waves in  India
Source: Chapter: Extreme Events and Disasters, EnviStats India  2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access

Note: Data in the report entitled EnviStats India 2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics has actually been sourced from India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences
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Between 2000 and 2018, most deaths due to heat waves were detected in 2015 (viz. 2,081), followed by 2003 (viz. 1,539) and 2013 (viz. 1,433). During the same time period, the highest number of deaths due to cold waves was noticed in 2003 (viz. 1,156), followed by 2011 (viz. 722) and 2001 (viz. 490). Please see table-3 for details.

Table 3: Deaths due to heat waves and cold waves in India

Table 3 Deaths due to heat waves and cold waves in India
Source: Chapter: Extreme Events and Disasters, EnviStats India  2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access
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It could be seen from chart-2 that between 2005 and 2017, the highest number of drought affected districts was observed in 2009 (viz. 338), followed by 2015 (viz. 270) and 2012 (viz. 122).  
 
Chart 2 Number  of drought affected districts in various years
 
Source: Chapter: Extreme Events and Disasters, EnviStats India  2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access
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In a reply to unstarred question number 4428 (to be answered on 8th January, 2019 in the Lok Sabha), the Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that around 252 districts faced deficient rainfall during the south west monsoon season between 1st June, 2018 and 30th September, 2018. Seeing the rainfall shortage, state governments of Maharashtra (26 districts), Karnataka (24 districts), Andhra Pradesh (9 districts), Jharkhand (18 districts), Gujarat (11 districts), Rajasthan (9 districts) and Odisha (9 districts) declared drought during kharif, 2018.

Chart 3 Number of cyclonic storms formed over North Indian Ocean
Source: Chapter: Extreme Events and Disasters, EnviStats India  2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access 

Note: Data in the report entitled EnviStats India 2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics has actually been sourced from India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences

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From chart-3 one can find that the total number of cyclonic storms formed over the North Indian Ocean fell from 25 during 1981-90 to 18 during 2001-2010, and then increased to 20 during 2011-2018. Between 2011 and 2018, the highest number of cyclonic storms was observed in 2018 viz. 7.

Table 4: Major natural disasters in India

Table 4 Major natural disasters in India
Source: Chapter: Extreme Events and Disasters, EnviStats India 2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access 

Note: Data in the report entitled EnviStats India 2019, Vol. I: Environment Statistics has actually been sourced from India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences
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Table-4 shows the major natural disasters that took place in the country since 1990. For example, the country faced massive floods in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018 in different states. 

References

Chapter: Extreme Events and Disasters, EnviStats India 2019, Vol.I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access  

EnviStats India 2019, Vol.I: Environment Statistics, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released in April, 2019, please click here to access

Annual Report 2018-19, Ministry of Home Affairs, please click here to access

Annual Report 2017-18, Ministry of Home Affairs, please click here to access 
 
Annual Report 2016-17, Ministry of Home Affairs, please click here to access 

Annual Report 2013-14, Ministry of Home Affairs, please click here to access 

Reply to Unstarred Question no. 4428 to be answered on 8th January, 2019 in Lok Sabha, please click here to access
 
 
Image Courtesy: Inclusive Media for Change/ Himanshu Joshi


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