Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the government’s preparedness for the hot weather conditions in summers.
Modi was briefed about the India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather forecast for the next few months, likelihood of a monsoon and the impact of weather on Rabi crops as well as the expected yield of major crops, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
He also reviewed efforts made by the government to monitor irrigation water supply, fodder and drinking water. He was also briefed about the preparedness of states and hospital infrastructure in terms of availability of required supplies and preparedness for emergencies. The PM was also updated on various efforts underway across the country to prepare for disasters related to heat and mitigation measures in place.
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The prime minister called for preparing awareness material for stakeholders including citizens, medical professionals, civic authorities and disaster response teams like firefighters.
He also directed officials to incorporate some multimedia lecture sessions in schools to sensitise children on dealing with extreme heat conditions.
The prime minister said that protocols and dos and don’ts for hot weather should be prepared in accessible formats, and various other modes of publicity like jingles, films, pamphlets etc. should also be prepared and issued.
Prime Minister Modi stressed on the need for detailed fire audits of all hospitals and that mock fire drills be done in all hospitals by firefighters. He instructed that availability of fodder and of water in reservoirs should be tracked. Food Corporation of India was asked to prepare to ensure optimal storage of grains in extreme weather conditions.
India is likely to witness heatwaves between March and May, especially in wheat-producing central and northern states, the IMD stated.
According to the report, a heatwave for the second straight year could dent production of wheat, chickpeas and rapeseed. The higher temperatures could also lift power consumption above supplies during summers.
In February, the average maximum temperature stood at 29.54 degrees Celsius, the highest since 1901. India received 68 per cent lesser rainfall than the normal last month.
The Centre had warned last year that India could experience more frequent heatwaves in the future and average temperatures even during monsoon have been rising over the past two decades, Reuters reported.
(With Reuters inputs)
