PM Narendra Modi reviews govt's heatwave management, monsoon preparedness - Key points

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a meeting to discuss the ongoing intense heatwaves in India and reviewed the country’s preparedness for the same.

The prime minister has harped on the fact that government will have to take necessary steps to avoid health problems and deaths due to fire incidents.

Meanwhile, IMD has issued a warning for the fresh spells of heatwaves in the coming days. As the heatwaves scare continues, here are some key points from PM Modi’s high-level meeting:

• During the meeting, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) briefed the PM about the persistence of high temperatures in March-May 2022 across the country.
• Prime Minister Modi observed that "we need to take all measures" to avoid deaths due to heatwave or fire incidents, according to the statement. He also added that the response time towards any such incidents should be minimal.
• Modi stressed that regular hospital and fire safety audits must remain prepared for the exigencies in view of rising temperatures and heatwaves.
• The prime minister also stressed the need to work to substantially reduce the vulnerability of forests across the diverse forest ecosystems in the country against fire hazards, enhance the capabilities of forest personnel and institutions for timely detection of a possible fire and for fighting fires, and to speed up recovery after a fire event.
• Modi directed ensure the arrangements for monitoring the quality of drinking water need to be ensured to avoid contamination and resultant spread of water-borne diseases.
• PM Modi also discussed the effective coordination between central and state agencies to ensure the preparedness of all systems for any incidents in the wake of a heatwave and upcoming monsoon.

The meeting was attended by the principal secretary to the prime minister, advisors to the PM, cabinet secretary, secretaries in the ministries of home, health, Jal Shakti, member NDMA, DGs of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and DG NDRF.

Heatwaves predictions

The Director-General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Thursday that a fresh spell of a heatwave is likely to commence in some parts of northwest India and central India.

"Due to the presence of western disturbance over Northwest India, the heatwave has abated in the past 2-3 days, while the day temperature has fallen and this condition is likely to continue for the next two days,” he added.

“However, a fresh heatwave spell is likely to commence in Rajasthan. Isolated heatwave conditions are expected to start in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Vidarbha especially. For Rajasthan, it will be for today and tomorrow (May 5 and May 6), and on May 7, it (heatwave) will spread into some other parts of northwest India and central India," Mohapatra added.

(With ANI inputs)