Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presided over a high-level meeting today to assess the country's preparedness amidst ongoing severe heatwave conditions in several states.
Mansukh Mandaviya announced the formation of a five-member team, consisting of senior officials from the Health Ministry and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), who will be visiting the states that are most severely impacted by the heatwave.
Additionally, he instructed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to provide recommendations on mitigating the negative consequences of the heatwave.
"Arrangements will be made at every level for the protection of common life. We want to ensure no one dies of a heat stroke," Mandaviya said.
He stated that a virtual conference will be conducted with the health ministers of the states experiencing soaring temperatures.
According to the meteorological agency, regions including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and others are expected to face severe to extremely severe heatwave conditions.
According to the IMD, heatwave conditions in eastern India and adjacent central India are expected to subside starting tomorrow.
In recent days, several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha, have reported fatalities resulting from heatstroke. In response to the intense heat, many states have extended their summer vacations.
Previously, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecasted above-normal maximum temperatures for most parts of India during the period from April to June.
As defined by the National Disaster Management Authority, a heatwave is characterized by a prolonged period of unusually high temperatures, surpassing the normal maximum temperature levels observed during the summer season.
Heatwaves generally occur from March to June, occasionally stretching into July in rare instances.
