The Rajasthan High Court has said that there is a need to declare heatwaves and cold waves as “national calamities”. The court’s observation came on Thursday while issuing directions to the state government to provide compensation to the dependents of people who died due to heatwave. This comes as the heatwave is wreaking havoc in the north Indian states with the temperatures setting new records daily. Taking suo motu cognisance regarding environment protection and climate change, the high court directed the chief secretary of Rajasthan to constitute committees of various departments to take immediate and appropriate steps for effective implementation of 'Heat Action Plan' prepared under the Rajasthan Climate Change Project. The court also directed to pay suitable compensations to the dependents of those who died due to heatstroke.
What did the Rajasthan High Court state?
The single-judge bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand directed the state authorities to sprinkle water on the roads with huge public movement and also provide cooling spaces, shades at the traffic signals where required.
The court also said that the 'Heat Action Plan' was developed in Rajasthan with the advice and leadership of the Disaster Management and Relief Department and the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board. However, it has not been implemented in "letter and spirit".
Referring to various steps and action plans of the central and state authorities, the court observed that in spite of making drafts of such action plans, the effective steps are not taken by the welfare state for the benefit of the public at large to save them from such extreme heatwave conditions.
The court said, "Due to extreme weather conditions in the form of heatwave, hundreds of people have lost their lives this month" and pointed that every year the nation faces extreme weather conditions in the form of heatwave, rains and coldwave in which many people, particularly the poor, lose their lives.
"The news items published in various newspapers and the news broadcast on electric media reflect that in the heatwave of this year, the death toll has crossed thousands in number," it said.
"Looking at large number of deaths due to extreme heat and cold waves across the country, the National Disaster Management Authority (for short "the NDMA") started working on it. There is a need to declare heatwave and coldwave as National Calamity," said the court.
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ | Heatwave grips Rajasthan, temperature soars to 50 degrees celsius in Phalodi
