Rajasthan HC advocates for heatwaves to be declared 'national calamities'
What's the story
The Rajasthan High Court has urged the Centre to declare heatwaves a "national emergency," saying that hundreds of people had died during weeks of harsh weather. "We do not have a planet B which we can move onto... If we do not take strict action now, we will lose the chance of seeing our future generations flourish forever," the court said. Government data reveals that five people have died so far due to ongoing heatwave in Rajasthan.
Action plan
Court orders compensation and implementation of heat action plan
Justice Dhand from the Rajasthan High Court also ordered the state government to compensate the dependents of those who died due to the heatwave. He instructed the state chief secretary to form committees for effective implementation of the "Heat Action Plan" under the Rajasthan Climate Change Project. Dhand emphasized that sufficient steps have not been taken by the welfare state to protect citizens from extreme heat conditions despite having action plans.
Public safety
High Court issues guidelines for public safety amid heatwave
Additionally, the court issued several guidelines to prevent further deaths and health issues due to heatwaves. These include sprinkling water on roads with high public movement, providing cooling spaces and shades at traffic signals, ensuring facilities at health centers for treating heatwave patients. It also issued advisories allowing outdoor workers to rest between 12:00noon and 3:00pm during extreme conditions.
Protection measures
Court urges for alerts and legislation to protect life
Justice Dhand further directed authorities to issue alerts about extreme heatwave conditions through various channels like SMS, FM radio, television, mobile apps, print and electronic media, newspapers, etc. Lastly, he urged the government to enact legislation aimed at protecting humans and other living beings from pollution and the consumption of adulterated food items. The order was titled "Save the Planet Earth and the Future Generation of This Universe."