ISTOCK
India reported 7,192 suspected heatstroke cases and only 14 confirmed deaths due to extreme heat between March 1 and June 24 this year, according to data obtained by PTI under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The country had reported nearly 48,000 cases of heatstroke and 159 deaths due to extreme heat in 2024, the warmest year on record in India since 1901.
The data, shared by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), reveals that the majority of cases were reported in May, the peak of the summer season, with 2,962 suspected cases and three confirmed deaths.
April saw 2,140 suspected cases and six confirmed deaths, while March recorded 705 cases and two deaths.
During June, up to June 24, 1,385 suspected cases and three deaths were documented.
Andhra Pradesh accounted for more than half of the total suspected heatstroke cases, reporting 4,055 during the period. Rajasthan reported 373 cases, followed by Odisha (350), Telangana (348) and Madhya Pradesh (297).
Despite these high numbers, several states with hundreds of suspected cases reported no confirmed deaths.
The data shows that Maharashtra and Uttarakhand reported the highest number of confirmed heatstroke deaths, at three each. Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal reported one death each.
The figures highlight the limitations of India's surveillance system, which experts say captures only a fraction of the actual burden.
The NCDC data is collected under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and relies on hospitals to report cases. This means deaths that occur outside medical facilities or are not correctly diagnosed as heat-related often remain uncounted.
A PTI investigation in June revealed that India's reporting of heat-related illnesses and deaths is fragmented, with different agencies presenting widely varying figures.
For 2015-2022, the NCDC recorded 3,812 heat-related deaths, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 8,171, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported 3,436.