PM Modi reviews readiness to tackle heat wave as India braces for sweltering months

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviews preparedness for heat wave related situation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a meeting to review preparedness for the upcoming heat wave season, days after India’s weather forecasting agency warned of more than double the usual number of heatwave days between April and June.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi was briefed on the temperature forecasts for the April to June period amid the likelihood of above-normal maximum temperatures, particularly across Central and western peninsular India, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Discussions also encompassed preparations within the health sector, including the availability of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, and adequate supplies of drinking water to mitigate the potential impact of the heatwave.

PM Modi underscored the necessity for a cohesive, whole-of-government approach, urging coordination between central, state, and district-level administrations, as well as different ministries, a release said.

He also stressed awareness creation along with adequate preparation in hospitals and highlighted the need for quick detection and putting out forest fires, it added.

The meeting was attended by the principal secretary to the prime minister, the home secretary, officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Disaster Management Authority.

The review meeting comes as the country prepares to hold the Lok Sabha elections, considered the world’s largest democratic exercise with tens of thousands expected in political rallies and queueing up at polling booths.

The seven-phase polls begin on April 19 and end on June 1.

“There is projection for extreme heat waves in the next three months. All the stakeholders including state governments have made elaborate preparations. Large number of lives have been lost in the past due to extreme heat waves. The level of our preparation has increased manifold. We came out with a national disaster management plan,” said Kiren Rijiju, the Union minister for earth sciences, during IMD’s seasonal temperature outlook briefing earlier this month.

The most heat wave prone areas are Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, north Karnataka followed by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, north Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, IMD said in its outlook.

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