Bhubaneswar: As many as 6,578 people lost their lives due to lightning strikes, drowning incidents and snakebites across Odisha over the last two financial years, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari informed the Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to a question from MLA Chakramani Kanhar, the minister said 3,439 deaths were recorded in 2023–24, while 3,139 fatalities occurred in 2024–25.
Providing a break-up of the figures, Pujari said drowning accounted for the highest number of deaths at 3,860, followed by 2,118 fatalities due to snakebites and 600 deaths caused by lightning strikes during the two-year period.
The minister reiterated that the state government had, in 2015, notified a range of calamities—including heatwave, lightning, boat capsize, tornado, heavy rain, drowning, snakebite and fire—as state-specific disasters. This classification enables financial assistance to victims from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
In cases of death due to lightning, drowning and snakebite, an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh is provided to the next of kin of each deceased through direct benefit transfer, he said.
According to the minister, the state government disbursed a total of ₹263.12 crore as compensation to families of the 6,578 victims during the two financial years.
District-wise data indicated that more than 200 drowning deaths were reported each in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Ganjam and Cuttack. Snakebite fatalities were predominantly recorded in Balasore, Cuttack, Ganjam and Keonjhar districts.
Notably, Mayurbhanj reported the highest number of lightning-related deaths, with 119 fatalities over the two-year period.
