New Delhi, 28 April (H.S.): The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken a firm stand on the rising threat of heatwaves, issuing formal notices to the chief secretaries of 22 states including the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Citing recorded data on heat‑related deaths and the heightened vulnerability of marginalised sections, the rights panel has directed the states to submit detailed action reports on measures taken to protect the public, especially the economically weaker, outdoor workers and the homeless.
The NHRC has highlighted that the growing frequency and intensity of heatwaves affect the poorest sections of society most severely, including migrant labourers, street vendors, the elderly, children and the unhoused, who often lack adequate shelter, water and rest facilities. In reference to figures from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the Commission noted that 3,712 people have died in India due to heat or sunstroke between 2019 and 2023.
Calling these numbers alarming, the NHRC has asked the 22 governments—including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Sikkim, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh—to outline the concrete steps taken this year to reduce or eliminate heat‑related casualties.
The Commission has urged all concerned states to strictly implement the heat‑wave guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). These include providing shaded shelters, cool‑roof materials, water points and oral rehydration salts in labour colonies; restricting working hours during peak heat; and ensuring medical protocols for heat‑related illnesses are in place at hospitals and health centres.
The NHRC has asked the chief secretaries to submit consolidated reports on the implementation of relief measures, inclusive planning and the protection of vulnerable populations, stressing that advance, pre‑emptive action is essential to prevent loss of life as temperatures continue to climb across the country in the coming weeks.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
