Geography & Disaster Management

How does this change India’s Disaster-Response Framework?
 
• Earlier Position: Heatwaves were treated as alocal disaster to be addressed by State                    governments.
       o States could use only up to 10% of their annual SDRF allocation for such
          local disasters.
       o Heatwaves were not part of the notified disaster categories under the existing framework.
       o The notified categories included: 
                               ▪ Cyclone
                               ▪ Drought
                               ▪ Earthquake
                               ▪ Fire
                               ▪ Flood
                               ▪Tsunami
                               ▪ Hailstorm
                               ▪ Landslide
                               ▪ Avalanche
                               ▪ Cloudburst
                               ▪ Pest attack
                               ▪ Frost/cold wave

• New Position: Heatwaves and lightning are now recognised as notified natural calamities               under the operational guidelines governing:
         o State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)
         o National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) 

• The arrangement will apply for 2026–2031.
• Benefits of this recognition:
        o It enables States to access disaster response funds for addressing the
           impacts of heatwaves and lightning.
       o  Recognition can support expenditure on measures required for responding
           to these hazards rather than limiting action to post-event relief.
       o The financial recognition is accompanied by health-sector mechanisms.

▪ The National Programme on Climate Change & Human Health (NPCCHH) and National Action         Plan on Heat Related Illness (NAPHRI) are already addressing heat health risks.
▪ The National Heat-Related Illness and Death Surveillance (NHRIDS) has been activated across      more than 51,000 reporting units, including Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and higher
  level hospitals.
▪ This provides a surveillance mechanism for heat-related illness and mortality.   

Why is this recognition needed?

• Rising Heat Risk: Heatwaves are becoming a major public-health hazard, with increasing               frequency, intensity and associated mortality.
                            o As of July 26, 2026, India had reported 4,853 heat-stroke cases and 20                                            deaths during the year.
 •  Inadequacy of the Earlier Funding Arrangement: The 10% SDRF ceiling under
    the local- disaster   provision restricted the financial capacity of States to respond to severe          heatwave  impacts.
• Changing Disaster Risk Profile: Climate change is increasing the importance of extreme heat         and other weather-related hazards, requiring disaster-financing systems
   to evolve accordingly.
• Lightning as a Major Weather Hazard: Lightning causes sudden fatalities and requires                     preparedness, response and risk reduction measures at the State and local levels.

What More is Needed to Make the Recognition Effective?

 • Ensure disaster funds reach high-risk populations, particularly informal and
    outdoor workers.
 • Strengthen Heat Action Plans at State and district levels.
 • Link disaster financing with early-warning systems and preventive action.
 • Strengthen heat-health surveillance and response capacity.
 • Improve lightning-risk awareness and local preparedness.
 • Ensure funding supports anticipatory measures, not merely post-disaster relief.  

Conclusion: Recognising heatwaves and lightning within the disaster-response financing framework marks a shift from treating emerging climate hazards as local problems to recognising them as national disaster risks requiring institutionalised fiscal and
administrative preparedness.