Between January and April of this year, extreme weather events took the lives of 233 people in India and damaged 0.95 million hectares of cropland, according to a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). This is a significant increase from 2022, with 32 states and union territories being impacted this year compared to 27 last year. The most extreme weather events were reported in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, with Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh following closely behind.
Lightning and storms were among the most frequent occurrences, happening on 58 days compared to 35 days during the corresponding period last year, with most of these events occurring in March and April. Interestingly, the country recorded just 15 heatwave days, a significant decrease from 40 days in the first four months of the previous year, which meteorologists attribute to frequent western disturbances. These weather systems typically originate in the Mediterranean region and bring unseasonal rainfall to northwest India. Delhi also reported extreme weather on only 12 days, down from 25 during the same period last year.
In the first four months of 2022, extreme weather events resulted in 86 deaths and 0.03 million hectares of cropland damage. In 2022, India experienced extreme weather events on 314 of the 365 days, which resulted in 3,026 fatalities and damaged 1.96 million hectares of crop area, an alarming statistic. Over the last 51 years, disasters related to extreme weather, climate, and water have resulted in 1,38,377 fatalities, according to data from the World Meteorological Department.
India’s government must urgently address these issues, as the rate of extreme weather events continues to rise each year. The government must implement appropriate measures, policies, and technological solutions to mitigate the disastrous effects of extreme weather on the Indian population.
