Berhampur: Natural calamities and extreme weather events have claimed 1,332 lives in Odisha between 2019 and 2023, with a concerning upward trend since 2021, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha.
The state recorded 223 weather-related deaths in 2023, up from 194 in 2022. The figures stood at 223, 339, and 313 for 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively, as stated by Jitendra Singh, Union minister of state for science, technology and earth science.
Lightning strikes proved to be the deadliest natural phenomenon, accounting for 1,103 deaths over the five-year period. Other major causes included heat waves (82 deaths), floods and heavy rains (73), and cyclonic storms (62). Gale events claimed 12 lives during this period.
In 2023, Odisha and Bihar jointly ranked third among states with the highest weather-related casualties (263 each), following Madhya Pradesh (308) and Uttar Pradesh (273). Of Odisha’s 263 deaths last year, 205 were attributed to lightning strikes and 45 to heat waves.
Environmental activist Sudhir Rout called the statistics “eye-opening” and linked the increase in extreme weather events to climate change. “The govt should take urgent steps to prevent deaths from natural disasters in Odisha, which is particularly vulnerable to cyclones, floods, and droughts,” he said.
Nationally, weather-related deaths totalled 2,483 in 2023, showing a slight decrease from 2,767 in 2022. The country recorded 1,944 deaths in 2021, 2,514 in 2020, and 3,017 in 2019.