Rajasthan HC Calls for Urgent Action on Heatwave Deaths

The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday directed the state government to provide compensation to the dependents of individuals who perished as a result of heatwaves. It emphasized the necessity of categorizing heatwaves and cold waves as “national calamities”.

Acting on suo motu cognizance concerning environmental protection and climate change, the high court directed the Rajasthan Chief Secretary to establish committees comprising various departments. These committees are tasked with promptly and appropriately executing the ‘Heat Action Plan’ formulated under the Rajasthan Climate Change Project.

Ensuring Relief Measures

Furthermore, the state government received directives to offer suitable compensations to the dependents of those who succumbed to heatstroke. Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand, presiding over a single-judge bench, also mandated the state authorities to sprinkle water on heavily trafficked roads. Additionally, they must provide cooling spaces and shades at traffic signals where necessary, along with ensuring all possible facilities at health centers for treating heatwave patients.

‘Heat Action Plan’

The court also urged the issuance of advisories for outdoor workers, such as porters and cart-and-rickshaw pullers, allowing them to rest between 12 noon and 3 pm during extreme heatwave conditions.

The court noted that although the ‘Heat Action Plan’ was devised in Rajasthan with the counsel and leadership of the Disaster Management and Relief Department and the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, its implementation lacked vigor.

In referencing various measures and action plans by central and state authorities, the court observed a failure to effectively execute such plans for the welfare of the public at large, thus leading to numerous fatalities due to extreme heatwaves and cold waves.

Call for Legislative Action

Considering the substantial loss of life during extreme weather conditions, the court emphasized the urgent need for governments to enact appropriate legislation. It called for the adoption of a statutory Act, derived from the Prevention of Deaths Due to Heat and Cold Waves Bill, 2015.

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