DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand is grappling with an alarming surge in natural calamities, experiencing an average of over 2,000 disasters annually. In the past nine years alone, a staggering 18,464 incidents have impacted residents across the Himalayan state, leading to significant loss of life and property from events ranging from cloudbursts to flash floods. The state’s Disaster Management Department meticulously tracks a wide array of incidents, including road accidents, fires, landslides, earthquakes, floods, insect attacks, avalanches, heavy rainfall, lightning strikes, hailstorms, gales, drownings, wild animal attacks, cloudbursts, forest fires, disease outbreaks, and electrocutions. “We collect comprehensive data on fatalities, injuries, and missing persons, alongside records of partially and completely damaged homes,” stated Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of the State Disaster Management Department. “Our figures from 2015 to 2024 indicate an average of 2,051 disasters occurring each year.”
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