Taking cognizance of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the alarming rise in heatwave-related fatalities, the Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre on a plea demanding strict enforcement of national heatwave management guidelines.

A bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and other concerned bodies, directing them to respond within two weeks.

The petition, filed by environmental activist Vikrant Tongad, called for urgent action to implement the National Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan – Prevention and Management of Heatwave, 2019, which the NDMA had issued. The plea also demanded the establishment of robust systems for forecasting, issuing heat alerts or early warnings, and operating round-the-clock helplines to handle heat-related emergencies.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Akash Vashishtha told the court that over 700 deaths due to heatwaves and heat stress were recorded across India last year. He warned that heat stress incidents are predicted to intensify in the coming years, leading to a higher number of casualties.

"Heatwaves, which were earlier concentrated in northwest and central India, have now expanded to the east coast, eastern, northeastern, peninsular, southern, and south-central regions, as documented in an Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) report," Vashishtha informed the court.

The petition emphasized that despite the 2019 national guidelines, several states and union territories have yet to formulate or implement mandatory Heat Action Plans. It also invoked the Centre’s obligations under Section 35 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which mandates appropriate measures for disaster preparedness and response.

Additionally, it pointed to Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, underscoring the Ministry of Environment’s duty to take proactive steps to safeguard environmental quality.

Linking the intensifying heatwave crisis to the broader impacts of climate change, the petitioner urged the court to direct the government to compensate victims of heat-related illnesses and extend minimum wages or other forms of social and financial security to vulnerable populations during extreme heat periods.

The plea also cited a meteorological monograph published in April 2023, titled "Heat and Cold Waves in India: Processes and Predictability", authored by scientists from the Ministry of Earth Sciences, IMD, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. The study predicts that the risk of heatwaves in India could increase tenfold during the 21st century, affecting over 70% of the country’s landmass, and warns of a significant rise in heat-related mortality, especially in lower latitude developing nations like India.