Parliament Question: Declaring Heatwaves as a Natural Disaster

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2541 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 4TH AUGUST, 2026/ SHRAVANA 13, 1948 (SAKA) DECLARING HEATWAVES AS A NATURAL DISASTER †2541. SHRI ANOOP PRADHAN VALMIKI: Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of the severe heatwave conditions in many parts of the country and the resulting loss of lives and health crises caused by it and if so, the details thereof, State-wise; (b) whether the Government is considering to declare heatwaves as a 'natural disaster' under the 'National Disaster Management Act' so that relief and rehabilitation schemes can get a legal framework and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether there is any plan to introduce a policy proposal in this direction in the near future; and (d) whether any technical or financial assistance has been provided by the Government to the State Governments for the implementation of their Heat Action Plans and if so, the details thereof, State-wise? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI) (a): The Government is aware of the occurrence of heatwave conditions in various parts of the country and the associated health impacts. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), through the National Programme on Climate Change & Human Health (NPCCHH), implements heat-health interventions in accordance with the National Action Plan on Heat Related Illness (NAPHRI).-2- L.S.US.Q.NO. 2541 FOR 04.08.2026 Under this framework, MoHFW has issued Heat Advisories for State Health Departments and Public Health Advisories on Extreme Heat/Heatwave, along with the seasonal outlook issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Based on the IMD Heatwave Warning Bulletin, NPCCHH disseminates customised colour-coded health advisories to all States and Districts for timely preparedness and response. National Heat-Related Illness and Death Surveillance (NHRIDS) activated for more than 51000 reporting units across the country from all PHCs and above hospitals. The total heat stroke cases and deaths due to heat stroke in this year till 26th July 2026, are mentioned in Annexure. (b) and (c): The 16th Finance Commission, in its recommendations for the award period 2026-31, recommended inclusion of heatwaves and lightning in the list of notified natural calamities, considering the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events arising from climate change. Based on these recommendations, the Ministry of Home Affairs has included heatwaves and lightning in the list of notified natural calamities under the Operational Guidelines for Administration of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the award-3- L.S.US.Q.NO. 2541 FOR 04.08.2026 period 2026-31. Accordingly, a policy framework for providing relief assistance through SDRF/ NDRF is now in place. Heat Wave Mitigation Projects are eligible under the Disaster Mitigation Funds. (d): The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued National Guidelines for the Effective Management of Heatwaves and also formulated the National Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan – Prevention and Management of Heat Wave in October, 2019. These guidelines facilitate heatwave-prone States and Union Territories in preparing Heat Action Plans (HAPs). ******ANNEXURE L.S.US.Q.NO. 2541 FOR 04.08.2026 Total heat stroke cases and deaths due to heat stroke during the current year i.e. 2026 (as on 26th July 2026) Sl. Cumulative total of Heatstroke Total Confirmed Heatstroke State No. cases since 1st March 2026 Deaths since 1st March, 2026 1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 0 0 2 Andhra Pradesh 540 4 3 Arunachal Pradesh 0 0 4 Assam 0 0 5 Bihar 249 0 6 Chandigarh 0 0 7 Chhattisgarh 660 0 8 Delhi 32 0 9 Goa 0 0 10 Gujarat 41 0 11 Haryana 95 0 12 Himachal Pradesh 10 0 13 Jammu and Kashmir 3 0 14 Jharkhand 409 0 15 Karnataka 59 0 16 Kerala 19 0 17 Ladakh 0 0 18 Lakshadweep 0 0 19 Madhya Pradesh 155 0 20 Maharashtra 325 11 21 Manipur 0 0 22 Meghalaya 1 0 23 Mizoram 3 0 24 Nagaland 0 0 25 Odisha 143 2 26 Puducherry 3 0 27 Punjab 12 0 28 Rajasthan 204 0 29 Sikkim 0 0 30 Tamil Nadu 2 1 31 Telangana 915 2 The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman 32 0 0 and Diu 33 Tripura 6 0 34 Uttar Pradesh 234 0 35 Uttarakhand 0 0 36 West Bengal 733 0 37 Total 4853 20 -------