23 States in India prone to heatwave conditions. Minister in answer to MP Arora’s question 

Ludhiana, August 9, 2024: It has been observed that brutal weather conditions force schools to close in several cities and raises the risk of heatstroke for people working outdoors. In view of the seriousness of the issue, MP (Rajya Sabha) from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora has raised it in the current session of Rajya Sabha.   

Arora asked about the steps taken by the government to address brutal weather conditions which forces schools to close in several cities and raises the risk of heatstroke for people working outdoors.

In a statement here today, Arora said answering to his question, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh has stated that the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), State Governments, and the local health departments, has started Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in many parts of the country to forewarn about the heatwaves.

The Minister further mentioned in his answer that Heat Action Plans in 23 States prone to heatwave conditions jointly implemented by the NDMA and the concerned State Governments for immediate and longer-term actions to increase preparedness, information-sharing, and response coordination to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations, including people working outdoors. Punjab is one of the 23 states.

In addition, IMD has taken various steps to improve monitoring, forecasting, and early warning systems, which have helped minimize loss of life and property during extreme weather events, including heatwave conditions. These include issuing seasonal and monthly outlooks, followed by extended-range forecasts of temperature and heatwave conditions. The forecasts and early warnings are also disseminated through social media for timely public outreach. District-wise heatwave vulnerability Atlas over India to help State Government authorities and disaster management agencies in planning. The hot weather hazard analysis map over India includes daily temperature, winds, and humidity conditions. A series of National and State-level heatwave preparedness meetings are conducted much before the start of the summer season, with regular review meetings from time to time during the season.