Lok Sabha Question No. 466 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-06
Subject: Heat Action Plans (HAPs)
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 466

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 6 TH  DECEMBER, 2023

## HEAT ACTION PLANS (HAPs)

## 466.    SHRI N. REDDEPPA:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  true  that  most  of  the  Heat  Action  Plans  (HAPs)  do  not  explicitly  carry  out vulnerability  assessments  thereby  having  no  proper  data  on  identification  of  vulnerable populations;
- (b) if so, whether the Ministry has any plans to incorporate such assessments in HAPs;
- (c) if so, the details regarding its parameters;
- (d) whether  there  is  any  mechanism  in  place  to  check  the  implementation  of  the  actions prescribed in the HAPs, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  on  providing  Central  financial  allocation  for implementation  of  the  HAPs  across  States  currently  as  many  of  the  plans  do  not  discuss funding sources and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES

## (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a)-(c)  As  a  part  of  providing  impact-based  early  warning  services  for  various  meteorological disaster events, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has prepared a Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas of India for the thirteen most hazardous meteorological events including Heat Waves that cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services. The web Atlas is depicted using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and is made available in IMD, Pune website (https://www.imdpune.gov.in/hazardatlas/index.html). The Atlas provides districts maps on hazard events and vulnerability for all the calendar months and at annual scale. The hazard maps are prepared based on the climatological data, census data on population and housing density and using different statistical and mathematical methods. Climate vulnerability maps are  prepared  based  on  the  disaster  data  from  the  annual  publication  of  IMD  'Annual Disastrous Weather Reports' for the climate hazardous events that cause casualties in terms of death and other losses.

The  occupational  profile  of  most  of  the  victims  was  ascertainedas  agricultural  labourers, coastal  community  dwellers,  and  people  living  below  povertylevel  (BPL)  category  with mostly  outdoor  occupations.Percentage  of  districts  and  population  affected  by  disastrous weather  events  in  different  categories  of  vulnerability  scales  based  on  the  Normalized vulnerability  index  for  eleven  out  of  these  thirteen  climate  hazards  are  prepared.The vulnerability atlas for heat waves indicates 13% of the districts and 15% of the population are moderate to very highly vulnerable and 4% of the districts and 7% of the population are highly vulnerable.The states of Rajasthan (15 districts) and Andhra Pradesh (13 districts) are the most vulnerable states for heat waves.

IMD  has  taken  up  various  steps  to  improve  monitoring  and  timely  early  warning  which helped  minimizing  loss  of  life  and  property.IMD  in  collaboration  with  National  Disaster Management  Authority  (NDMA)  and  local  health  departments  have  started  Heat  Action Plans  (HAPs)  in  many  parts  of  the  country  to  forewarn  about  the  heat  waves  and  also advising action to be taken during such occasions.At present the HAPshas been implemented in  23  States  that  are  prone  to  high  temperatures  leading  to  heat-wave  conditions.The  heat wave bulletin is issued daily at 1600 hrs IST providing heat wave forecast and warnings with 5-day forecasts. Impact of heat wave expected over a region is being mentioned in colour codes (Green, Yellow, Orange and Red) and also the specific impact is described in the text as  per  the  NDMA  guidelines.Bulletins  are  issued  by  Meteorological  Centres/Regional Meteorological Centres at district levels.

IMD has introduced various new platforms and strategies for dissemination of its  forecast and  warning  services in addition to existing print and  electronic media  and  email services.IMDis  now  conveying  heat  wave  information  with  the  help  of  daily  and  weekly video messages for easy understanding of stake holders.Lot of emphasis is placed on social media  to  disseminate  the  warning  messages  such  as  YouTube,  Facebook,  WhatsApp,  X (former  twitter),  Instagram  etc.  Dedicated  State  website  has  been  operationalized  to  give district  wise  and  localized  information  on  heat  wave  warning  services.  Sector  specific bulletins with respect to heat wave are also provided such as for health sector to prepare for the  potential  transmission  of  vector  borne  diseases  and  for  agriculture  sector  to  support interventions to avoid any loss of productivity.

- (d)-(e)  No  Sir.  The  implementation  of  the  heat  action  plan  and  its  effective  monitoring  is theresponsibility of the respective State Governments.

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