Quick answers
How can I prepare for disasters in an Indian city?
Learn your city's risk map from official disaster websites, identify the nearest safe zones such as open grounds or shelters, and learn basic skills like CPR, fire safety and earthquake response.
Which emergency numbers should city residents save?
Save 108 for an ambulance, 101 for fire and 112 for disasters and general emergencies.
Why are Indian cities vulnerable to disasters?
Unplanned construction without structural audits, fire service shortages, blocked or outdated drainage, weak implementation of disaster plans and untrained citizens all increase urban disaster risk.
What questions can citizens ask their city officials about preparedness?
Ask where the city's disaster management plan is and when the last public drill was held. Citizens can also join local volunteer networks and never ignore official weather warnings.
India’s cities are growing fast, but they are not always getting safer. In 2024, 69,378 people died in accidents in India’s 53 mega cities. That is 43.2 deaths per lakh people, well above the national rate of 33.3.
A “mega city” here means a city with 10 lakh or more people as per Census 2011 (NCRB, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024). From floods in Mumbai and Chennai to fires in Delhi and heat in Ahmedabad, risk piles up where people, buildings and traffic are packed close together.
Why this matters
Cities drive India’s growth, but they also concentrate risk. Crowding, unplanned construction, choked drains and ageing buildings mean a single heavy downpour, fire or tremor can hurt thousands.
When disaster strikes, nature decides how big the event is. Preparation decides how many people die.
Accidents in India’s cities: what NCRB recorded in 2024
| Indicator | 2024 figure |
|---|---|
| Accidental deaths in 53 mega cities | 69,378 |
| Accidental death rate, mega cities | 43.2 per lakh people |
| Accidental death rate, all India | 33.3 per lakh people |
| City with most accidental deaths | Mumbai, 8,655 |
| Deaths from forces of nature in mega cities | 917 (heat or sun stroke the top cause, 27.6%) |
| Fire accident deaths, all India | 5,888 (60.4% in homes) |
Source: NCRB, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024, Chapter 1, as reported by States and UTs.
The main hazards in our cities
| Hazard | Recent examples | Cities often affected |
|---|---|---|
| Floods and waterlogging | Chennai floods, Delhi waterlogging | Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Patna |
| Fires | Surat coaching centre (2019), Mundka, Delhi (2022), Rajkot game zone (2024) | Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat |
| Heat waves | 2024, India’s warmest year on record (IMD) | Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad |
| Building collapses | Old and illegal buildings collapsing in the monsoon | Mumbai, Lucknow, Gurugram |
| Earthquakes | Tremors felt in Delhi NCR; high-risk zones in the North-East | Delhi, Guwahati, Gangtok |
| Industrial accidents | Visakhapatnam gas leak (2020) | Visakhapatnam, Pune, Surat |
The lesson keeps repeating: we react after the damage, not before.
Why our cities are still not ready
- Unplanned growth. Buildings go up fast, often without structural checks.
- Stretched fire services. Many cities do not have enough fire stations or staff for their size.
- Drains that cannot cope. Old, blocked or built-over drains flood with every heavy rain.
- Plans that stay on paper. Disaster management plans exist but are not practised.
- Untrained citizens. Few people know how to evacuate or give first aid.
Key figures
- Fire accidents, 2024, all India: 5,971 cases and 5,888 deaths (NCRB).
- Where fire deaths happen: 60.4% in homes and other residential buildings.
- Deaths from forces of nature, 2024: 7,903, including lightning 2,825 and heat or sun stroke 1,832 (NCRB).
There is no official ranking of how prepared each Indian city is. Earlier versions of this page showed a city ranking and preparedness percentages that we could not trace to any source, so we have removed them.
What you can do
- Know your city’s risks. Check your state disaster management authority’s website and your municipal corporation’s alerts.
- Find your nearest safe places: open grounds, schools used as shelters and higher floors in a flood.
- Save emergency numbers: 112 for any emergency (police, fire or ambulance), 101 for fire and 108 for an ambulance.
- Learn basic skills: CPR, using an extinguisher, and Drop, Cover and Hold On for earthquakes.
- Join a local volunteer network, such as VFF India’s community responders or your RWA’s safety team.
- Never ignore IMD and city alerts. Plan your day around them.
What needs to change
- A working disaster management plan for every city, with public drills every year.
- Real-time emergency dashboards linking 112, fire, ambulance and city control rooms.
- Better fire and rescue services in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
- Regular safety audits of hospitals, schools, malls and offices, with results made public.
- Trained citizen volunteers in every ward.
- City funding linked to measurable improvements in disaster resilience.
Ask your city officials
- “Where is our city’s disaster management plan, and can residents read it?”
- “When was the last public drill in our ward?”
Prepared cities do not just recover faster. They lose fewer lives.
References
- National Crime Records Bureau: Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024, Chapter 1
- India Meteorological Department: Annual Climate Summary 2024 (as reported by Scroll, 17 January 2025)
- Ministry of Home Affairs reply on the Emergency Response Support System (112), reported by The Sentinel, 5 February 2020
Disasters do not wait for meetings and memos. This week, find out your ward’s nearest shelter or open ground, and save 112 on every phone in your home.
What needs attention
- People in mega cities die in accidents at a higher rate than the national average
- Mumbai recorded the most accidental deaths of any city in 2024
- Heat was the top natural cause of death in mega cities in 2024
- Fires, floods and building collapses repeatedly hit crowded urban areas
- Many city disaster plans are not practised with the public
- No official ranking of city preparedness exists
Controls that reduce risk
- Check your state and city disaster authority websites for local risks
- Agree a family meeting point and an out-of-town contact
- Learn CPR, extinguisher use and Drop, Cover and Hold On
- Join or start a safety team in your RWA
- Report blocked drains, dangerous buildings and locked exits
- Ask your councillor for the ward's disaster plan and drill dates
Common unsafe practices
- Assuming the city administration will handle everything
- Ignoring IMD and municipal alerts
- Living or working in buildings with blocked exits
- Parking and dumping waste over drains
- Never finding out where the nearest shelter or open ground is
- Never practising first aid or evacuation
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