J&K reports 29 disaster deaths in 2023-24: GoI

New Delhi, Aug 4: Jammu and Kashmir reported 29 human deaths, 229 cattle losses and 229 houses/huts damaged due to hydro-meteorological disasters during 2023-24, while no human deaths, cattle losses, house damage or cropped-area impact were reported from the Union Territory during 2024-25 and 2025-26, according to provisional data furnished by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Lok Sabha.
The data was provided by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in reply to an unstarred question raised by BJP MP Suresh Kumar Kashyap. The MP had sought details about losses caused by heavy rainfall, cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods in hilly States, including details of deaths, missing and injured persons, damaged houses, roads, bridges, agriculture, horticulture and public infrastructure, besides Central financial assistance and measures for disaster risk reduction.
As per the annexure, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 29 human lives lost, 229 cattle lost and 229 houses/huts damaged in 2023-24, with the cropped area affected shown as nil. In 2024-25, all four categories—human lives lost, cattle lost, houses/huts damaged and cropped area affected—are shown as nil. In 2025-26, J&K again recorded zero human deaths, zero cattle losses, zero houses/huts damaged and zero cropped area affected.
Ladakh, meanwhile, reported no losses under the four categories in 2023-24. During 2024-25, the UT recorded 28 human deaths, 73 cattle losses, 1,069 houses/huts damaged and 0.02 lakh hectares of cropped area affected.
During 2025-26, Ladakh reported 192 human deaths, 11,828 cattle losses, 11,864 houses/huts damaged and 0.78 lakh hectares of cropped area affected, according to the provisional figures.
The Ministry clarified that it does not centrally maintain data regarding loss of lives and property due to disasters across the country. However, the annexure contains damages reported by State Governments and Union Territories due to various hydro-meteorological disasters during the last three years, covering 2023-24 to 2025-26.
Rai said the primary responsibility for disaster management, including disbursal of relief assistance at the ground level, rests with the concerned State Governments. The States undertake relief measures through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and other available resources, while the Centre supplements their efforts with logistics and financial support. In disasters of a severe nature, additional assistance is provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF based on the recommendations of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team.
The Centre said the National Disaster Management Plan and guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority cover landslides, cloudbursts, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods, forest fires and earthquakes, to which the Himalayan region is particularly vulnerable.
The government has also approved the National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project for implementation in 15 States, while the National Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risk Mitigation Programme has been approved for Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand.
An integrated SACHET warning system based on the Common Alerting Protocol has also been operationalised to disseminate geo-targeted early warnings by integrating alerts from the India Meteorological Department, Central Water Commission, Geological Survey of India, INCOIS, Defence Geo-informatics Research Establishment and Forest Survey of India.
The Ministry further said multi-disaster early-warning systems, disaster-resistant infrastructure, community preparedness and capacity building are being strengthened through initiatives including Aapda Mitra and Yuva Aapda Mitra. (KNO)