Union Cabinet Secy Rajiv Gauba Chairs Meeting Of NCMC To Review Preparedness To Deal With Heat Wave And Forest Fires

Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday chaired a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to review preparedness to deal with heat wave and forest fires. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) made detailed presentations on current situation of heat wave and forest fires respectively including steps being taken to deal with them across the country. During the meeting, Cabinet Secretary requested the Chief Secretaries to regularly review and monitor the short term, medium term and long-term measures to ramp up preparedness to deal with heat waves. 

He emphasized that efforts to maintain and augment sources of water supply should be stepped up and fire safety audit of all institutions be ensured regularly. Mr. Gauba emphasized that a regular system of preparatory measures and annual drills to deal with forest fires should be put in place.

The Cabinet Secretary observed that States and Union Territories need to be better prepared to meet the associated challenges



related to heat wave and forest fires to ensure no loss of life and to minimize damage. He stressed the importance of preparatory measures as outlined by NDMA and MoEFCC. Mr. Gauba assured the States that Central Ministries and Departments are closely engaging with them to ensure optimum preparedness and timely implementation of mitigation and response measures.

NDMA also informed that Advisories have been issued to states to activate Control Rooms, enforce Standard Operating Procedures for heat wave, ensure drinking water availability, preparedness of health facilities. States have also been advised to conduct fire safety audits of schools, hospitals and other institutions regularly and reduce response time in incidents of fire. On forest fire management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change informed that regular forest fire alerts are being disseminated through mobile SMS and emails. A Forest Fire Alert System portal named VAN AGNI has also been developed by Forest Survey of India to assist the states and other agencies.