This year, summer arrived earlier than normal; in fact, February was warmer than average. This has caused some alarm across the nation, notably in the important areas. Thus, on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a high-level gathering at his residence to assess the state of preparation for the oncoming summer's hot weather. Top representatives from several ministries and departments attended the meeting, including the Cabinet Secretary. He was made aware of the weather predictions for the upcoming several months as well as the chances of a typical monsoon by the India Meteorological Department. Also, he received a briefing on the effects of the weather on Rabi crops, anticipated crop yields, and the initiatives done to monitor the availability of irrigation water, fodder, and drinking water.
At the meeting, the preparedness of the states, hospital infrastructure in case of emergencies, and other steps to deal with the situation brought on by high temperatures were also discussed. In a formal press statement, the prime minister stated that various stakeholders, such as people, medical professionals, municipal and panchayat officials, emergency response teams like firefighters, etc., should get separate awareness materials. Also, he underlined the need to use the media to raise awareness of the necessary precautions, as well as protocols and dos and don'ts during hot weather. The IMD is to provide daily weather forecasts in a way that is simple to understand and spread, per the prime minister's directive.
The human cost was high: 59 people died and more than 100 more perished. A traffic incident that occurred around the same time served as a reminder to the national capital's authorities that buses transporting schoolchildren should follow specific regulations. All tiers of government have recently failed to devise strategies to lessen the destruction brought on by the second wave of COVID-19. There was a severe scarcity of oxygen, hospital beds, medications, etc. between April and May 2021. In light of this, the Prime Minister's review meeting is welcomed since it will signal to other departments that they must be vigilant, active, and even proactive. This should be beneficial for those preparing for summer.
