Lok Sabha Question No. 232 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-24
Subject: Impact of Heat Waves on India
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Balashowry Vallabhaneni

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 232

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 24 TH  JULY, 2024

## IMPACT OF HEAT WAVES ON INDIA

## 232.    SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI :

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the manner in which the Government looks at the research conducted by Australiabased Monash University published in PLoS Medicine that impact of heat wave on India is severe due to geographical, climatic and socio-economic factors;
- (b) Whether  it  is  also  true  that  India  shouldered  the  highest  heat-wave  related  deaths globally and accounts 20% of 1.53 lakh mortalities reported every year since 1990;
- (c) whether it is also true that the World Meteorological Organisation indicated that there are 110 reported fatalities due to heatstroke in 2023 in India; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  remedial  measures  that  the  Government  is  planning  to  take  to address this issue?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) The study published in PLoS Medicine was based on the daily deaths and temperature data  from  750  locations  in  43  countries.  The  published  article  also  mentioned  that 'The  main  limitation  of  the  study  was  the  lack  of  data  from  certain  regions,  e.g., Arabian Peninsula and South Asia'.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines heatwave conditions based on temperature criteria as reported by the stations located across various districts in the country.  IMD  mainly  considers  meteorological  parameters  at  local  levels  as  the impact of heatwaves is aggravated due to prevailing humidity, winds, climatological and geographical information.

- (b) No. As per the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB, Ministry of Home Affairs) report, the highest number of deaths (1908) associated with heatwaves in the Indian region  occurred  in  2015.  The  details  are  provided  in  the  Annexure-1.  It  has  been reduced  since  then  due  to  seamless  weather  prediction  of  temperature,  and  early warning  alters  for  the  heatwave  conditions  by  IMD,  and  the  implementation  of  the heat action plan by the National Disaster Management Authority.
- (c) Yes.
- (d) The India Meteorological Department has taken various steps to improve monitoring and early warning systems, which helped minimize loss of life and property during extreme weather events, including heatwaves. These include:
- i. Issuing seasonal and monthly outlook of temperature and heatwave conditions.
- ii. District-wise heatwave vulnerability Atlas over India to help State Government authorities and disaster management agencies in planning and taking appropriate action.
- iii. The  hot  weather  hazard  analysis  over  India  that  includes  daily  temperature, winds, and humidity condition.
- iv. Heat index forecast for the entire country and impact-based forecast of heatwave conditions at district levels.
- v. Real-time heatwave information and warnings on the Web-GIS platform.
- vi. Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in 23 States that are prone to heatwave conditions jointly implemented by the national disaster management authority in collaboration with the State Governments.
- vii. Improvement  of warning dissemination services; using modern  tools of dissemination systems for timely public outreach.

State/UT wise deaths due to Heat/Sun Stroke in 2015:

## Annexure-1

| S. No.   | State/UT                   | 2015   |
|----------|----------------------------|--------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh             | 654    |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh          | 0      |
| 3        | Assam                      | 0      |
| 4        | Bihar                      | 86     |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh               | 2      |
| 6        | Goa                        | 0      |
| 7        | Gujarat                    | 52     |
| 8        | Haryana                    | 34     |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh           | 0      |
| 10       | Jharkhand                  | 96     |
| 11       | Karnataka                  | 0      |
| 12       | Kerala                     | 1      |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh             | 24     |
| 14       | Maharashtra                | 61     |
| 15       | Manipur                    | 0      |
| 16       | Meghalaya                  | 0      |
| 17       | Mizoram                    | 0      |
| 18       | Nagaland                   | 0      |
| 19       | Odisha                     | 60     |
| 20       | Punjab                     | 99     |
| 21       | Rajasthan                  | 41     |
| 22       | Sikkim                     | 0      |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu                 | 0      |
| 24       | Telangana #                | 182    |
| 25       | Tripura                    | 0      |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh              | 487    |
| 27       | Uttarakhand                | 0      |
| 28       | West Bengal                | 28     |
|          | TOTAL STATE (S)            | 1907   |
| 29       | A &NIslands                | 0      |
| 30       | Chandigarh                 | 0      |
| 31       | D&N Haveli and Daman&Diu@+ | 0      |
| 32       | Delhi UT                   | 0      |
| 33       | Jammu& Kashmir@*           | 1      |
| 34       | Ladakh@                    | -      |
| 35       | Lakshadweep                | 0      |
| 36       | Puducherry                 | 0      |
|          | TOTAL UT(S)                | 1      |
|          | TOTAL (ALL INDIA)          | 1908   |

As per data provided by States/UTs

'+' Combined data of erstwhile D & N HAVELI AND DAMAN & DIU UT during 2013-2019

'*' Data of erstwhile JAMMU & KASHMIR State Including LADAKH during 2013-2019

'#' Data of newly created State during 2014

'@' Data of newly created Union Territory 2020