The Kashmir Dialogues
New Delhi, July 27 (TKD): India has reported 7,192 suspected heatstroke cases and 14 confirmed deaths due to extreme heat from March 1 to June 24 this year, according to data obtained via the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The figures, released by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), highlight the growing public health challenge posed by rising temperatures. May, the peak summer month, accounted for the highest burden with 2,962 suspected cases and three confirmed deaths.
April recorded 2,140 suspected cases and six deaths, while March saw 705 cases and two deaths. Up to June 24, authorities documented 1,385 suspected cases and three deaths.
Andhra Pradesh alone reported 4,055 suspected cases — more than half of the national total — followed by Rajasthan (373), Odisha (350), Telangana (348) and Madhya Pradesh (297). Despite these high numbers, several states with hundreds of suspected cases reported zero confirmed deaths.
Maharashtra and Uttarakhand recorded the highest number of confirmed deaths at three each, while Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal reported one death each.
In comparison, 2024 — the warmest year in India since 1901 — saw nearly 48,000 heatstroke cases and 159 deaths.
Experts warn that the actual toll may be far higher due to gaps in India’s surveillance and reporting systems. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), which collects the NCDC data, relies heavily on hospital reporting, leaving out deaths outside medical facilities or misdiagnosed cases.
A senior health ministry official admitted the challenge, noting that “surveillance systems capture only a fraction of the real burden” and that manual data entry and understaffed hospitals further skew the numbers.
Discrepancies among agencies underscore the issue: between 2015 and 2022, the NCDC recorded 3,812 heat-related deaths, while the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 8,171 and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported 3,436.
Experts, including Soumya Swaminathan, Advisor to the Health Ministry, emphasize the need to strengthen death reporting systems. “Accurate data is the backbone of better policies and preparedness for extreme heat events, which are set to intensify with climate change,” she said.
Sheikh Mudasir
