# Centre notifies heatwaves, lightning as national disasters 2026-08-06T22:51:37+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Union government has officially notified heatwaves and lightning as natural calamities eligible for relief under the State and National Disaster Response Funds, Union Minister Nityanand Rai told Parliament on August 4. The decision follows the 16th Finance Commission's recommendation citing increasing extreme weather from climate change. Rai also said 4,853 heatstroke cases have been reported since March 1, 2026, with Telangana recording the most. Tamil Nadu had earlier notified heatwave as a state disaster, offering Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia. But The Hindu reports that classifying heatwave deaths remains difficult: doctors often record only the immediate cause, not environmental triggers, and there is no clinical test. Experts say compensation schemes need clearer medical guidelines and better training for doctors. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - india.mongabay.com Tags: climate change, disaster relief, heatwave, public health, Tamil Nadu Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/tamil-nadu-classifies-heatwave-as-state-disaster-offers-rs-4-lakh-relief/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/tamil-nadu-classifies-heatwave-as-state-disaster-offers-rs-4-lakh-relief/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.