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New Delhi, June 10, 2025 — On a blistering May afternoon last year, a ragpicker in Delhi’s Ghazipur area collapsed from heat exhaustion. Despite his family’s desperate rush to the hospital, he was declared dead on arrival. With no official proof that heat was the cause, his death went unrecorded, and his family received no compensation. His story is emblematic of a much larger, hidden crisis: the true toll of India’s deadly heatwaves remains obscured by fragmented and outdated reporting systems.
Disjointed Data, Disappearing Lives
A recent investigation highlights how India’s official records fail to capture the full extent of heat-related deaths. At least three separate government sources track such fatalities: the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Yet, their numbers differ dramatically.
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NCDC (under the Health Ministry): 3,812 heat-related deaths recorded between 2015 and 2022.
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NCRB (under the Home Ministry): 8,171 deaths from “heat/sunstroke” in the same period.
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IMD: 3,436 deaths due to “heatwave” from 2015 to 2022.
These discrepancies stem from differing data sources and reporting mechanisms. The NCDC counts only deaths reported by hospitals, the NCRB logs deaths found by police and confirmed by autopsy, while the IMD relies on media reports.
Systemic Challenges and Underreporting
Experts and officials admit that none of these datasets alone provide a complete picture. Many deaths, especially among the poor and undocumented, slip through the cracks. Manual data entry, lack of electronic records, and poor compliance from state authorities further hamper accurate reporting. In some cases, authorities may even suppress figures to avoid compensation payouts.
A senior doctor at a central government hospital in Delhi, speaking anonymously, noted that most hospitals are understaffed, making thorough data collection and timely reporting difficult. “We have some numbers, but never the full picture,” admitted a Health Ministry official.
The Need for Reform
At the India Heat Summit 2025, Health Ministry Advisor Soumya Swaminathan stressed the urgent need to strengthen death-reporting systems. “They provide the best source for government and policymakers to understand causes of death, which should inform policy,” she said.
Abhiyant Tiwari, Lead for Climate Resilience and Health at NRDC India, pointed out that attributing deaths directly to heat is a global challenge. He advocates for using “all-cause mortality” data—which captures total deaths during heatwaves, not just those officially classified as heatstroke—to better assess vulnerability and set early-warning thresholds.
Avinash Chanchal, Deputy Programme Director at Greenpeace South Asia, called for urgent reforms in recording heat-related deaths. “Discrepancies and underreporting mean the true toll of extreme heat often remains hidden. Hiding or ignoring the true numbers delays the urgent action needed to address heat,” he warned.
Looking Ahead
As climate change intensifies, India’s heatwaves are expected to become deadlier and more frequent. Without an overhaul of the country’s fractured data system, countless victims of extreme heat will remain invisible—unrecorded, uncompensated, and uncounted.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on information reported by the Economic Times Health and PTI, as well as statements from government officials and experts. The figures and opinions presented reflect the current state of data collection and reporting on heatwave-related deaths in India, which is subject to change as new information becomes available. Readers are advised to consult official government sources for the most current statistics and policy updates.
