Lok Sabha Question No. 994 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-08
Subject: Deaths due to Extreme Weather Events
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SANTOKH SINGH CHAUDHARY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 994

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2019

## Deaths due to Extreme Weather Events

## 994. SHRI SANTOKH SINGH CHAUDHARY:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it  is  a  fact  that  India  accounts  for  second  highest  number  of  deaths  in  the world due to extreme weather events;
- (b) the number of extreme weather events like floods, excessive rain, cyclones in India during last three years, State/ UT-wise and year-wise;
- (c) the  number  of  people  who  died  in  these  extreme  weather  events  during  last  three years, State/UT and year-wise;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  commissioned  any  study  on  the  effects  of  climate change on people of India, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the measures taken by the Government to reduce the effect of extreme weather events and climate change on the people?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) The Global Climate Risk Index 2019, published by Germanwatch in December 2018, puts India at fourteenth rank in terms of Climate Risk Index for 2017, twenty ninth rank in terms of  fatalities  per  lakh  of  inhabitants,  and  second  rank  in  terms  of  fatalities  in  2017.  The ranking is based on information collated by MunichRe, a re-insurance company on weather related events only and it is not based on any government reports.

(b) & (c) The details of some of the major weather extremesin India in the recent years, as reported  under  second  Biennial  Update  Report  (2018),  is  at  Annexure-I.  As  per  the information received from National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), no centralized data on deaths due to extreme weather conditions in the states/ union territories is maintained. Each state has its own State Disaster Management Authority to deal with such events.

(d) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has carried out a study  titled  'Climate  Change  and  India:  A  4X4  Assessment  -  A  Sectoral  and  Regional Analysis  for  2030s'.  The  study  projects  impacts  of  climate  change  in  2030  on  four  key sectors  of  Indian  economy,  namely,  agriculture,  water,  forests  and  human  health  in  four regions of India, viz. the Himalayan region, the Western Ghats, the Coastal region and the North-Eastern Region.

(e) The NDMA has issued several disaster specific guidelines for managing extreme weatherrelated  disasters  such  as  cyclones,  floods  and  heat  wave.  Further,  India  Meteorological Department (IMD) has modernized its observation system by installing a network of doppler weather radars, automatic weather stations, automatic rain gauge stations, etc. for monitoring abnormal  weather  patterns.  IMD  has  also  upgraded  its  forecasting  skills  so  that  advance warning  can  be  provided  to  concerned  agencies  to  tackle  the  adverse  impacts  of  extreme weather events.

The Government is implementing National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises of missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, agriculture, Himalayan eco-system, sustainable habitat, green India and strategic knowledge on climate change. Most of these Missions, inter-alia, focus on climate change adaptation. Thirty two States/Union Territories have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in lines with NAPCC taking into account State's specific issues relating to climate change. These SAPCCs inter-alia outline sector specific and cross sectoral priority actions including adaptation. The Government is also implementing the scheme, 'National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change' to support adaptation measures of States/UTs in areas that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate Change.

***

Annexure-I Some of the Major Weather Extreme Events in India (2014-2017)

| Temperatures   | Temperatures   | Temperatures                                                   | Temperatures                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|----------------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year           | Month          | Event                                                          | Details                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| 2014           | Jan-Dec        | Severe cold wave/cold wave                                     | Cold wave/fog related incidents in northern parts of the country.                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 2014           | May-Jun        | Heat wave                                                      | Intense heat wave events which prevailed over northeastern, central and peninsular parts of the country.                                                                                                                                                           |
| 2015           | May-Jun        | Severe heat wave                                               | Severe heat wave incidences over the south peninsula and eastern parts of the country including the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha.                                                                                                                |
| 2016           | Mar-May        | Severe heat wave                                               | Intense heat wave conditions which prevailed over northeaster, Central and peninsular parts of the country.                                                                                                                                                        |
| 2017           | Mar-Jun        | Severe heat wave                                               | Severe heat wave conditions which prevailed mainly over peninsular parts of the country including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.                                                                                                                                    |
| Precipitation  | Precipitation  | Precipitation                                                  | Precipitation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| 2014           | Mar            | Hailstorm                                                      | Unprecedented widespread hailstorm in Maharashtra and parts of central India in the first week of March severely affected crops, livestock, animals and birds.                                                                                                     |
| 2014           | Sep            | Heavy rainfall resulting in floods                             | Heavy floods in the State of Jammu and Kashmir; Several thousand villages across the state were hit.                                                                                                                                                               |
| 2015           | Apr-Aug        | Nor' wester, Lightening and Heavy rainfall resulting in floods | A severe Nor' wester ravaged 12 districts of Bihar during April. Gujarat State suffered with flood and heavy rains in June. Flood-related incidence also occurred in West Bengal from June to August.                                                              |
| 2015           | Nov-Dec        | Heavy rainfall                                                 | Very heavy rainfall during northeast monsoon season in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.                                                                                                                                                                              |
| 2016           | Jul-Sep        | Heavy rainfall resulting floods                                | Heavy rains and floods in State of Maharashtra caused the 'Mahad bridge collapse' incident in August. Flood-related incidences also occurred in 'State of Bihar from 25the July to 3 rd September. Cloudburst and landslides also occurred in Uttarakhand in July. |

| 2017     | May-Oct   | Lightning and Heavy rainfall resulting floods                 | Lightning and rainfall events caused loss of life in various parts of Odisha from May to October; in Bihar from May to July, and; in Maharashtra in June and October.                                                                                             |
|----------|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2017     | Jul-Sep   |                                                               | Flood and heavy rains caused loss of life in Gujarat. Flood-related incidence, a massive landslide caused deaths at Kotrupi, Himachal Pradesh on 13 th August. Floods in Ghaghara, Gomati and Rapti rivers also claimed lives during 4 th to 10 th September.     |
| Cyclones | Cyclones  | Cyclones                                                      | Cyclones                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| 2014     | Jun       | Cyclonic Storm Nanauk over the Arabian Sea                    | The storm caused heavy rainfall over Lakshadweep, Kerala and coastal Karnataka.                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 2014     | Oct       | Very Severe Cyclonic Strom, Hudhud, over the Bay of Bengal    | Caused human and animal death in north Andhra Pradesh. It caused very heavy rainfall over north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha and strong gale winds leading to large-scale structural damage over north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining districts of south Odisha. |
| 2014     | Oct       | Very severe Cyclonic Storm, Nilofar, over the Arabian sea     | Under the influence of system. Konkan and Goa region experienced widespread rain with heavy rainfall at isolated places.                                                                                                                                          |
| 2015     | Jun       | Cyclonic Storm, Ashobaa, over the Arabian Sea                 | No adverse weather was reported due to this system.                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 2015     | Jul       | Cyclonic Storm, Komen, over the Bay of Bengal                 | Loss of life due to cyclonic storm, Komen' in West Bengal and Odisha. Landslides also claimed lives in Manipur.                                                                                                                                                   |
| 2015     | Oct       | Extremely severe cyclonic storm, Chapala over the Arabian Sea | No adverse weather over west coast of India was reported due to this system.                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| 2015     | Nov       | Extremely severe, cyclonic storm, Megh, over the Arabian Sea  | No adverse weather over west coast of India was reported due to this system.                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| 2016     | May       | Cyclonic Storm, Roanu over the Bay of Bengal                  | It caused adverse weather like heavy rain and strong wind all along east coast of Sri Lanka and India ( including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rayalseema, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura)                  |
|          | Oct       | Cyclonic storm Kyant over the Bay of                          | The system caused rainfall at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and coastal Andhra                                                                                                                                                                      |

|      |     | Bengal                                                    | Pradesh.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|------|-----|-----------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      | Nov | Cyclonic storm Nada over the Bay of Bengal                | The system caused heavy rainfall at isolated places over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|      | Dec | Very Severe Cyclonic storm, Vardah over the Bay of Bengal | 'Vardah' caused heavy to very heavy rainfall over Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It also caused extremely heavy rainfall over Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu. It caused human and animal death in Tamil Nadu.                                                                    |
| 2017 | Apr | Cyclonic storm Maarutha over the Bay of Bengal            | The system caused heavy rainfall over Andaman & Nicobar Islands.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 2017 | May | Severe cyclonic storm 'Mora' over the Bay of Bengal       | 'Mora' developed in the onset phase of southwest monsoon. The system caused heavy rainfall at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura and a few Places over Assam and Meghalaya.                                                                                 |
| 2017 | Nov | Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Ockhi' over the Bay of Bengal | It was a rare cyclone with rapid intensification after the genesis stage. It caused isolated heavy rainfall over south Tamil Nadu and over south Kerala. It caused heavy to very heavy rainfall over Lakshadweep and heavy rainfall over north coastal Maharashtra and adjoining south coastal Gujarat. |