With the election dates announced for the state, the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led government, along with his alliance parties, is leaving no stone unturned to sway the voters. However, his work has also been scrutinised by opposition leaders.
The Quint, through its series, has analysed the work of Kumar to see how successful he has been in growing the economy of the state (GSDP), curbing unemployment, and bringing down the illicit liquor cases in Bihar, among others.
This part will focus on the number of deaths due to floods, lightning, and heat (or sun stroke) that has taken place in Bihar from 2005-2022.
Floods in Bihar: How Does It Impact the Population Year After Year?
Time and again, the population in Bihar has been heavily impacted by floods. Don't believe us? Look at the news reports below that are from 2019-2025; they paint a grim picture and show how people struggle with the aftermath year after year.
A recent IANS report said that over 12 people lost their lives and around 12.58 lakh people were affected because of severe floods, with the situation further worsening due to rainfall in Nepal.
The report was published in 2019.
(Source: The New Indian Express/Screenshot)
When the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) leader assumed office in 2005, the number of deaths due to floods stood at 26. The figure for 2006 was 16. However, the next two years saw over 400 deaths.
It can be said that Kumar was successful in the next few years, barring a few years in between, in tackling the impact of floods in the state.
However, the situation has worsened in Bihar since 2016, where every year the state has witnessed over 300 (except 2018) deaths. This underlines that both the NDA government and the Mahagathbandhan alliance did not succeed in handling the floods in Bihar for the said period. This also marks a sharp rise in weather-related incidents across the country.
The issue still remains one of the least talked-about issues in the run up to the assembly elections in November.
(Note: We could not access the data for 2015.)
How Has Lightning Impacted the Population in the Last Two Decades?
As per the official NCRB data, the number of deaths because of lightning in 2005 in Bihar was 35, which increased to 73 in 2006. While the death toll dropped down to 55 in 2007, it kept rising for the next five years.
The trend from 2016 onwards looked similar to the flood-caused deaths in the state. The death toll kept steadily decreasing in 2017 and 2018, however, the next two years witnessed at least 400 deaths due to lightning.
(Note: We could not access the data for 2015.)
What are the possible causes?: A report published in Times of India quoted Sudhakar Jha, director of the GP Sinha Centre for Disaster Management and Rural Development, who outlined high population density, farmers' dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and palm-tree felling as possible causes.
"Preponderance of palm trees, which earlier used to absorb lightning, have also been drastically cut both in rural and urban areas, leading to more deaths. As more and my farmers remain active in open fields during rains, they are more vulnerable to death."Sudharkar Jha to TOI
How Many People Lost Their Lives Due to Heat in Bihar From 2005?
About 68 people died due to heat or sunstroke in the state in 2005, which came down to 52 in 2006.
An addition of all the figures showed that around 1,451 have lost their lives because of the said issue from 2005 to 2022 (2015 data could not be accessed).
The year of 2019 remained grim for the state of Bihar, where it witnessed a large number of deaths due to floods, lightning, and heat.
(Data sourced: Forces of Nature from NCRB: Year- and State-wise Number of Deaths due to Natural Calamities by Type [Dataset]. Dataful.)