Mizoram suffered Rs 1,291 crore losses from disasters, disease outbreaks in five years: Report

Mizoram incurred damage and economic losses exceeding Rs 1,291 crore due to natural disasters and disease outbreaks between 2021 and 2025, according to a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report reviewed at a State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) meeting chaired by Chief Minister Lalduhoma on June 25.

Official sources said the report estimated total losses at Rs 1,291.11 crore, including physical damage worth Rs 656.76 crore and economic losses amounting to Rs 634.35 crore.

The assessment identified Cyclone Remal, African Swine Fever (ASF), landslides triggered by heavy rainfall and rodent infestations in several parts of the state as the major disasters that affected Mizoram during the five-year period.

According to the report, an estimated Rs 879.82 crore will be required for recovery and reconstruction efforts across various sectors impacted by the calamities.

During the meeting, the SDMA also reviewed the draft Mizoram State Disaster Management Plan 2026 and disaster management plans prepared by all eleven districts of the state. The plans aim to strengthen disaster preparedness, response mechanisms and resilience against future emergencies.

The meeting discussed measures to reinforce Project Management Units (PMUs) functioning under major national disaster mitigation programmes, including the National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project, National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project and the Forest Fire Risk Management Scheme.

Officials said the objective is to ensure effective implementation of disaster-risk reduction measures across the state.

The authority also reviewed the continued implementation of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) and approved 178 projects under the Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for 2024-25 at an estimated cost of Rs 11.44 crore.

Among other key issues discussed was a proposal to declare African Swine Fever (ASF) a state-specific disaster, which would enable the use of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) assistance without a fixed timeframe for affected farmers and stakeholders.

The meeting also deliberated on the procurement of additional search-and-rescue equipment to enhance the state's emergency response capabilities.