Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting of officials and reviewed the government’s preparedness for a possible hot summer this year amidst rising apprehensions about El Nino affecting monsoon rains. While he was briefed about a host of issues, including the availability of drinking water, standing crops, irrigation, and fodder, Modi directed officials to prepare “protocols and dos and don’ts” for hot weather in accessible formats and well publicise them.

“Prime Minister was briefed about the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) weather forecast for the next few months and on the likelihood of a normal monsoon,” an official statement said after the review meeting, attended by Secretaries of various ministries.

Impact on Rabi crops

Modi was briefed about the impact of weather on Rabi crops and the expected yield of major crops, officials said. He inquired about efforts to monitor irrigation water supply, fodder, and drinking water. As the meeting took stock of the preparedness of the States, particularly in terms of hospital infrastructure and the availability of emergency supplies, Modi stressed the need for detailed fire audits of all hospitals and that mock fire drills be done in all hospitals by firefighters.

IMD last week released the weather forecast for the March-May period, wherein it has been predicted that an overall above-normal temperature will prevail in most parts of the country. The monthly average maximum temperature in February was the highest, and the minimum temperature was the fifth highest, both since 1901.

El Nino conditions

Climate agencies have been cautioning against the possible setting in of El Nino conditions this year, resulting in a rainfall deficit during the monsoons. Recently, the Finance Ministry raised concerns over predictions that El Nino conditions could result in deficient monsoon rains, leading to lower agricultural output and higher prices.

Officials also updated the Prime Minister on various efforts underway across the country to prepare for disasters related to heat and mitigation measures, the statement said. Modi said that separate awareness materials should be prepared for different stakeholders, such as the general public, medical professionals, municipal and panchayat staff, and disaster response teams. He instructed to incorporate some multimedia lecture sessions in schools to sensitise children on dealing with extreme heat conditions.

“The Prime Minister asked IMD to issue daily weather forecasts in a manner that can be easily interpreted and disseminated. It was also discussed that TV news channels and FM radio could spend a few minutes daily explaining the daily weather forecast in a manner that would allow citizens to take necessary precautions,” the statement said.

It was observed that systemic changes should be made to support efforts to prevent and tackle forest fires, which are normally seen in the summer.

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