Intense heat wave this year claimed 264 lives in India

Karam Prakash

New Delhi, July 22

The intense heat wave this year has already killed 264 people in the country. This is the highest death toll owing to the heat wave in the country over the past five years.

Of the total 264, Kerala alone reported 120 deaths due to extreme weather condition. It is followed by Gujarat where 35 people have died of heat wave. Telangana reported 20 deaths and Maharashtra reported 14.

Himachal Pradesh, which experienced record high temperatures, witnessed nine deaths.

According to the Union Health Ministry data tabled in Lok Sabha on Friday, Himachal never reported a death due to heat wave since 2015 when the government started keeping records of deaths due to the extreme weather.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the average maximum temperature, this year, over the south peninsular region, which includes Kerala and Telangana, was the highest ever at 34.05 degree Celsius since 1901.

The IMD chief told The Tribune that they had already studied the past weather records and found that India had been experiencing an increase in the extreme heat wave frequency, duration and intensity due to climate change.

As to the steps taken to alleviate the impact of heat wave, the Union Health Ministry said they had already launched National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health in 2019 with the sole objective to create awareness, strengthen the capacity of the health care system and health response and partner with other missions to mitigate the impact of climate change on human health.

The ministry further said the IMD issued heat wave alerts (early warnings), and these were further shared with state nodal officers, climate change, to ensure health facility preparedness and follow-up.