How many people died due to natural disasters in 2024–25 as per provisional estimates from the Disaster Management (DM) division of the Home Affairs ministry?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (c) 3080

Explanation:

• According to provisional data from the Disaster Management (DM) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, 3,080 people lost their lives due to natural disasters in 2024–25.
• The casualties were primarily attributed to heavy rains, floods, landslides, and lightning strikes during the monsoon season.
• States like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand reported significant numbers due to terrain-related disasters.
• Lightning remains one of the single largest causes of disaster-related deaths in rural India.
• The government uses these statistics to allocate funds under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief.

• The Disaster Management Act, 2005, provides the legal framework for disaster management in India, establishing the NDMA and SDMAs.
• India is highly vulnerable to disasters, with nearly 12% of its land prone to floods and 68% of its cultivable area prone to drought.

• This figure is higher than the provisional 2024–25 estimate and might represent cumulative data or severe outlier years.

• This is an underestimation given the frequency of extreme weather events and lightning deaths recorded annually in India.

• This would indicate an exceptionally catastrophic year (like the 2013 Kedarnath floods period), which does not match the 2024-25 provisional report.