Now Reading: Centre notifies heatwaves, lightning as national disasters
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Centre notifies heatwaves, lightning as national disasters
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 Story in Brief
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.
The Indian Opinion
National notification is welcome, but it risks becoming a paper promise if states do not fix the messy certification process. The Hindu's report shows doctors rarely certify heat as the cause of death, making ex-gratia claims near impossible. The real test will be whether state health departments now train medical staff, standardise autopsy guidelines, and simplify paperwork so that the money actually reaches the families of the most vulnerable.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, india.mongabay.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
