Lok Sabha Question No. 3857 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-12
Subject: Fire Wind in Coastal Region
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: SURESH KODIKUNNIL, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3857**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 12/08/2015**

**FIRE WIND IN COASTAL REGION**

**3857.	SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:**

**SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:**

**Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**be pleased to state:**

**(a)		whether the Government is aware that fire wind/heat wave is occurring in the coastal region including the coastal region of northern Kerala;**

**(b)		if so, the details thereof;**

**(c)		whether the Government has contemplated any action to study the scientific reasons and impact of such unusual occurrences; and**

**(d)		if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?**

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES**

**(SHRI.Y. S. CHOWDARY)**

**(a) to (d):  Latest IPCC Report (2014) highlights that mean surface temperature of the globe has risen by 0.85** **0** **± 0.18** **0** **C.  In line of rising temperature across the globe, all-India mean temperature has risen nearly around 0.6** **0** **C over the last 110 years. Using daily maximum temperature data of 103 stations uniformly distributed over the country for the period 1961-2010  from Indian main land during the hot weather season (March to July) for the last 50 years (1961-2010), various statistical aspects of heat waves (HWs) and severe heat waves (SHWs) such as long term climatology, decadal variation, and long term trends were examined. It was observed that many areas of the country (north, northwest, central and northeast Peninsula) have experienced HW days of ≥8 HW days on an average per season. The SHW were mainly experienced over north, northwest and central parts of the country. Compared to previous four decades, there was noticeable increase in the HW/SHW days over the country during the recent decade 2001-2010, which is also the warmest decade for the country as well as for the globe. Although, no HW/SHW phenomena was found to be prevalent over the 3-stations – Kochi, Thiruvanantapuram and Alappuzah of Kerala, significant long term increasing trends in maximum temperature anomaly was noticed.**

**To mitigate the impact of heat waves and upon prediction of the heat wave conditions by the ESSO-IMD, various state Governments have a system of giving wide publicity of “Dos and Don’ts” through advertisements in TV channels, News Papers and opening drinking water camps at identified places in rural and urban areas.  The schedule of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme workers is adjusted to avoid exposure to extreme hot weather duration periods.  Advisories include precautionary measures to avoid heat stroke include – drinking plenty of water; avoiding going out in open heat during 10AM-4PM; wearing light colored clothes; covering head/using umbrella while going out; monitoring symptoms of heat stroke etc.**

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