Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting at his residence, 7 LKM, on Monday to review the preparedness for hot weather in the upcoming summer. He was briefed about the weather forecast of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for the next few months and on the likelihood of a normal monsoon.
Modi also stressed on the need for detailed fire audits of all hospitals. The Prime Minister said mock fire drills must be conducted in all hospitals by firefighters.
The Prime Minister was also briefed about the impact of weather on Rabi crops and expected yield of major crops, a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office said. At the meeting, the efforts underway to monitor irrigation water supply, fodder and drinking water were also reviewed.
Chaired a meeting today to take stock of the preparedness for the upcoming summer including aspects relating to agriculture, augmenting medical infrastructure and disaster management apparatus. https://t.co/mhuwkqWFn0 pic.twitter.com/9cTFW6qmgu
Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 6, 2023
Modi was updated on the various efforts being made in the country to prepare for heat-related disasters and the mitigation measures in place to overcome these. He was briefed about the supplies required in hospitals and preparedness for emergencies.
Modi said separate awareness materials should be prepared for different stakeholders including citizens, medical professionals, municipal and panchayat authorities, and disaster response teams like firefighters, among others, and instructed the people gathered there to take necessary steps to incorporate multimedia lecture sessions in schools to train children to deal with extreme heat conditions, the statement said.
Modi said protocols and “dos and don’ts’ for hot weather should be prepared in accessible formats, and that various other modes of publicity such as jingles, films and pamphlets should be prepared and issued. He asked the IMD to issue daily weather forecasts in a manner such that they can be easily understood and disseminated. At the meeting, it was suggested that television news channels and radio stations could spend a few minutes daily explaining the daily weather forecast so that citizens can take necessary precautions accordingly.
At the meeting, the need for a coordinated effort to deal with forest fires was pointed out, and systemic changes needed to support efforts to prevent and tackle forest fires were discussed.
Modi asked the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to prepare optimal storage of grains in extreme weather conditions.