Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Earth Sciences acknowledges the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in India due to global warming. The government is taking steps to strengthen heat action plans, improve early warning systems, and coordinate inter-ministerial efforts to mitigate the impact on public health, livelihoods, and infrastructure. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has analyzed heatwave trends from 1961-2020 and is implementing initiatives to enhance monitoring and early warning.
Key Points / Main Content:
Heatwave Monitoring and Prediction:
* IMD has observed an increasing trend in heatwaves, particularly in the northern plains and central India, based on data from 1961-2020.
* IMD, in collaboration with research centers, is enhancing monitoring and early warning systems for severe weather events, including heatwaves.
* IMD issues seasonal and monthly outlooks, along with extended-range forecasts for temperature and heatwave conditions, disseminated through social media.
* The Common Alert Protocol (CAP) is being implemented by IMD to disseminate timely warnings and alerts.
* IMD utilizes a seamless forecasting system and implements Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for monitoring and forecasting weather hazards.
* IMD has developed an end-to-end GIS-based Decision Support System (DSS) and a "Climate Hazard Vulnerability Atlas of India" to aid in timely detection, monitoring, and planning.
Heat Action Plans and Preparedness:
* Heat Action Plans (HAPs) are jointly implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and State Governments in 23 heatwave-prone states.
* National and State-level heatwave preparedness meetings and review meetings are conducted before and during the summer season.
* Weather information is provided to Union Government ministries, State Governments, and local government bodies.
* A district-wise heatwave vulnerability atlas is available to assist state governments and disaster management agencies in planning.
* The Ministry of Earth Sciences MoES shares weather and climate information and early warnings with disaster management authorities and the general public through various platformschannels for necessary preparedness.
Inter-Ministerial Coordination:
* Inter-ministerial coordination meetings are regularly organized by Central Government Authorities such as NDMA, Health Departments, Labour Departments, Indian Railways, Transport Department, Forest Departments, etc.
* IMD actively participates in these meetings, sharing heatwave status, forecasts, and warnings.
* NDMA conducts regular meetings with stakeholders, disseminating IMD forecasts for anticipatory actions.
Climate Adaptation Measures:
* The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has published a Climate Change report titled "Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region" to assess the impact of climate change across India, including urban and rural areas.
* MoES institutions use dissemination systems to share weather and climate information and early warnings.
Resource Allocation and Long-Term Resilience:
* State disaster management authorities have resources available through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF).
* The Central Government considers financial assistance requests from States in accordance with the guidelines for the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).
* The existing list of disasters eligible for NDRF/SDRF assistance includes 12 categories; expansion of this list was considered but not implemented by the 15th Finance Commission.
Impact Analysis:
* **National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for collaborating with State Governments in implementing Heat Action Plans and organizing inter-ministerial coordination meetings.
* *Action Required:* Continue coordinating with State Governments and relevant ministries, and ensure effective implementation of CAP.
* **State Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing Heat Action Plans, utilizing the heatwave vulnerability atlas, and requesting financial assistance if needed.
* *Action Required:* Utilize the provided resources and information to develop and implement effective heat mitigation strategies at the local level.
* **India Meteorological Department (IMD):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for monitoring, forecasting, and providing early warnings for heatwaves.
* *Action Required:* Continue enhancing monitoring and early warning systems, disseminating information effectively, and participating in inter-ministerial coordination meetings.
* **Central Government Ministries (Health, Labour, Railways, etc.):**
* *Impact:* Need to incorporate heatwave information into their respective planning and operational activities.
* *Action Required:* Participate in inter-ministerial coordination meetings and implement measures to protect public health, livelihoods, and infrastructure from extreme heat.
* **Local Government Bodies:**
* *Impact:* Implementation of local heat mitigation measures and dissemination of information to the public.
* *Action Required:* Work with State Governments to implement local heat mitigation strategies and ensure the public is informed and prepared.
* **Citizens (especially vulnerable populations):**
* *Impact:* At risk from extreme heat events.
* *Action Required:* Stay informed about heatwave warnings, take necessary precautions (hydration, avoiding sun exposure), and follow guidance from local authorities.
Key Entities Referenced
India Meteorological Department IMD: The national meteorological service of India, responsible for weather forecasting and monitoring, including heatwaves.
National Disaster Management Authority NDMA: The apex body for disaster management in India, involved in implementing Heat Action Plans and coordinating disaster response.
Heat Action Plans HAPs: Strategies implemented in 23 States of India prone to heatwave conditions, aimed at reducing the impact of extreme heat.
Ministry of Earth Sciences MoES: The Indian government ministry responsible for research and development related to earth sciences, including climate change and weather forecasting.
National Disaster Response Fund NDRF: A fund in India used to provide financial assistance for disaster relief.
State Disaster Response Fund SDRF: A fund in India at state level used to provide financial assistance for disaster relief.
northern plains: Geographic region in India that is part of the heat core zone.
central India: Geographic region in India that is part of the heat core zone.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4374
TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 20THAUGUST, 2025
RISING INCIDENTS OF EXTREME HEAT
4374. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI:
Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken note of the rising frequency and intensity of
extreme heat events across the country;
(b) if so, the steps taken/being taken by the Government to strengthen national and State-
level heat action plans and improve early warning systems;
(c) whether inter-ministerial coordination is being undertaken to address the impact of
extreme heat on public health, livelihoods and infrastructure and if so, the details
thereof;
(d) the measures being implemented to support climate adaptation at the local level,
particularly in vulnerable urban and rural areas; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to allocate dedicated resources or launch new
schemes to build long-term heat resilience and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AND EARTH SCIENCES
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a)-(b) Yes. It has been observed that due to global warming, there is a rising trend in the
frequency and intensity of heatwaves in various parts of the globe, including India.
The trend in heatwave conditions across the country has been analysed by the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) based on datasets from 1961 to 2020. In general,
there is an increasing trend in the frequency of heatwaves in the heat core zone
covering northern plains and central India.
The India Meteorological Department, in collaboration with various research centers
across the country, has undertaken several initiatives to enhance monitoring and early
warning of severe weather events. These efforts have significantly contributed to
minimizing the loss of life and property during extreme weather events, including heat
waves.
Some of these initiatives related to the extreme temperatures and heat waves are listed
below.
Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in 23 States that are prone to heatwave conditions
were jointly implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA) in collaboration with the State Governments. Issuing seasonal and monthly outlooks, followed by extended-range forecasts
of temperature and heatwave conditions. The early warning and forecast
information are also disseminated through various social media platforms 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 of India incorporates daily data on
temperature, wind patterns, and humidity levels.
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.
The weather information is provided to all the stakeholders, including the ministries of
the Union Government, State Governments, and local Government bodies. The
Common Alert Protocol (CAP), developed by the NDMA, is also being implemented
to disseminate warnings and timely alerts by the IMD.
(c) Yes. Inter-ministerial coordination meetings have been organised by various Central
Government Authorities such as NDMA, Health Departments, Labour Departments,
Indian Railways, Transport Department, Forest Departments, etc., regularly. IMD
regularly participates in these meetings and shares the heatwave status, forecasting,
and warnings from time to time. Regular meetings are also conducted by NDMA with
different stakeholders, disseminating the forecast provided by IMD for anticipatory
and on-ground actions.
(d) The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has published a Climate Change report titled
"Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region". The report has assessed the
impact of climate change across the country, including urban and rural areas, and
provides a comprehensive overview of regional climate change. It covers all major
aspects of regional climate change, including the climatic extremes across India. The
report is available at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-15-4327-2.
MoES institutions use the state-of-the-art dissemination system to share weather and
climate information and early warnings with disaster management authorities and the
general public through various platforms/channels for necessary preparedness and to
support adaptation measures across the country, including coastal States. It includes
social media, Common Alert Protocol, Mobile Apps, WhatsApp, and APIs. As a
result, the vulnerable population in rural and coastal areas gets evacuated on time to
safe shelters, thereby reducing the human death toll to a bare minimum.
IMD utilizes a seamless forecasting system at the seasonal to nowcast scale and
implements well-defined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for monitoring &
forecasting weather hazards. IMD in coordination with other centres in the MoES, has
developed an end-to-end GIS-based Decision Support System (DSS), which has been
working as the front end of the early warning systems for the timely detection and
monitoring of all-weather hazards across the country. It is supported with specific
severe weather modules to provide timely impact-based early warnings for extreme
weather events like cyclones, heavy rainfall, etc., which devastate human lives,
livelihoods and infrastructure.IMD has also brought out a web-based online "Climate Hazard & Vulnerability Atlas
of India" prepared for the thirteen most hazardous meteorological events, which cause
extensive damage and economic, human, and animal losses. The same can be accessed
at https://imdpune.gov.in/hazardatlas/abouthazard.html. This atlas will help State
Government authorities and disaster management agencies identify the hotspots,
including vulnerable urban and rural areas, and plan and take appropriate action to
tackle extreme weather events. This product is helpful in building Climate Change
resilient infrastructure.
(e) The State disaster management authorities have their resources available through the
State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to
support it. If there is a request from the States for financial assistance, the Central
Government considers it in accordance with the relevant guidelines for the National
Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).
Currently, the notified list of disasters eligible for National Disaster Response Fund
(NDRF)/State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) assistance includes 12 disasters,
namely cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, fires, floods, tsunamis, hailstorms, landslides,
avalanches, cloud burst, pest attack, and frost & cold wave. The issue of inclusion of
more calamities in the existing notified list of calamities was considered by the 15th
Finance Commission. The Commission, in para 8.143 of its report, had observed that
the list of notified disasters eligible for funding from the State Disaster Response
Mitigation Fund (SDRMF) and National Disaster Response Mitigation Fund
(NDRMF) covers the needs of the State to a large extent and thus did not find much
merit in the request to expand its scope.
However, a State Government can use up to 10% of the annual fund allocation of the
SDRF, subject to the fulfillment of certain prescribed conditions and norms, to provide
immediate relief to the victims of natural disasters that they consider to be 'disasters'
within the local context in the State and which are not included in the centrally
notified list of natural disasters.
Addressing the root causes of global climate change is essential to mitigating the
impact of heat waves. This involves international cooperation to reduce carbon
emissions, transition to renewable energy sources and implement sustainable practices
across all sectors. Towards this, India has taken a proactive role in fostering
international collaborations through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance
and the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure. India is committed to pursuing
low-carbon strategies for development and is actively pursuing them, as per national
circumstances.
*****