logo
Supreme Court seeks government response on heat wave deaths amid climate crisis

Supreme Court seeks government response on heat wave deaths amid climate crisis

The Hindu21-05-2025
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) issued a notice to the Centre seeking its response on a petition that draws urgent attention to the escalating heat wave crisis linked to climate change, which has resulted in a high number of deaths across the country.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai took cognisance of the petition filed by environmentalist Vikrant Tongad, represented by advocate Akash Vashishtha, who sought judicial intervention to uphold citizens' fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution by ensuring living conditions free from the adverse impacts of heat waves, heat stress, and climate change.
The petition pointed out that despite the National Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan – Prevention and Management of Heat Wave, 2019, issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), many States and Union Territories have yet to implement the mandated Heat Action Plans.
It also referred to the Centre's statutory responsibilities under Section 35 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which requires the government to take appropriate measures for disaster management. Additionally, Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 obliges the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to act decisively to protect and improve environmental quality.
The petition further invoked the Supreme Court's own ruling in the M.K. Ranjitsinh case, which affirmed the right of citizens to live free from the adverse effects of climate change.
The Bench granted the government two weeks to file its response.
Advocate Vashishtha informed the court that over 700 deaths were reported in 2024 due to heat waves and related heat stress. He highlighted scientific predictions warning that heat stress is expected to intensify.
'Earlier, heat waves were predominant in three regions, including Northwest and Central India, but now they have spread to East Coast, East, North-East, Peninsular, Southern and South-Central regions and so has been stated by an India Meteorological Department report itself,' Mr. Vashishtha submitted.
The petition also cited the 2023 Climate Change Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body tasked with assessing climate science, which warned that heat waves, as a consequence of climate change, are likely to increase, leading to greater mortality and morbidity and severely impacting food and water security for vulnerable communities and regions.
'Heat waves have a tremendous destructive impact on human health and biological life, agriculture, food security, groundwater and surface water, forests, natural resources, livelihoods and have a profound bearing on the national economy,' the petition argued.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: SC to hear Oppn plea on July 10
Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: SC to hear Oppn plea on July 10

Hans India

time12 minutes ago

  • Hans India

Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: SC to hear Oppn plea on July 10

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear petitions challenging the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar on July 10. The bench, however, refused to stay the ongoing exercise. Hearing a bunch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's exercise, a vacation bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said the matter would be heard on Thursday. A battery of senior lawyers led by Kapil Sibal argued on behalf of a bunch of petitioners and said notices should be issued to the poll body. Challenging the poll body's exercise, petitions have been moved by several Opposition leaders, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), PUCL, and activist Yogendra Yadav. In his petition, Bihar leader argued that the Election Commission's June 24 order pertaining to the intensive electoral roll revision drive be quashed as it violated several provisions of the Constitution. The exercise was violative of Articles 14 (fundamental right to equality), 21 (fundamental right to life and liberty), 325 (no person can be excluded from electoral roll based on caste, religion and sex) and 326 (every citizen of India who has attained 18 years of age is eligible to be registered as a voter) of the Constitution, Jha said in his petition. The Election Commission ordered a special intensive poll revision drive in Bihar on June 24, reportedly to weed out ineligible names and ensure only eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll ahead of the crucial Bihar Assembly elections. The last such intensive revision in Bihar was conducted in 2003.

In digital era, US supreme court insists on vast piles of paper
In digital era, US supreme court insists on vast piles of paper

Time of India

time14 minutes ago

  • Time of India

In digital era, US supreme court insists on vast piles of paper

WASHINGTON: In his year-end report in 2023, chief justice John Roberts celebrated "the digital revolution in the federal courts". Electronic filing, he wrote, was "rendering paper largely optional". But not at the Supreme Court. In addition to requiring electronic submissions, its rules instruct litigants who are not prisoners or poor to file 40 paper copies of many documents, including petitions seeking review, briefs opposing them, briefs from the parties in the cases the court agrees to hear and the accompanying flood of friend-of-the-court briefs. And that is just the beginning of the court's elaborate requirements. The paper filings must take the form of handsome little typeset booklets printed on paper "that is opaque, unglazed and not less than 60 pounds in weight". The rules specify permissible fonts and margins, along with how the booklets are to be bound - "firmly in at least two places along the left margin (saddle stitch or perfect binding preferred)." The booklets are, allowing for the subject matter, a pleasure to read. They are also redundant, expensive and wasteful. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola "The court's rules impose significant and unnecessary costs to litigants and to the environment," William J Aceves, a law professor at California Western School of Law, wrote in a study published last month in the University of Colorado Law Review. He urged the court to do away with paper submissions, particularly for the first round of briefs, over whether the justices should hear a case at all. Focusing solely on those early filings, Aceves calculated the court's rules require the submission of more than 5 million pieces of paper each term. "If stacked together, these filings would reach beyond 2,000 feet, which exceeds the height of the tallest building in the US," he wrote. "If weighed, these filings would take over 33 tonnes of paper to produce." The court can make do with electronic filings and a single hard copy. Indeed, it did so during the pandemic, when it suspended the usual rules for filings during the first round of briefing starting in April 2020. Litigants and scholars welcomed the development. Josh Blackman, a law professor at South Texas College of Law, said the change signalled the end of a "byzantine policy for submitting printed briefs." More than a year later, though, the court reinstated the rule. Some justices have said they read at least some briefs electronically. Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016, used an iPad. In a 2009 interview, Justice Elena Kagan said she preferred a Kindle. Aceves said he had sent copies of his article to the court's clerk and to the chief justice to urge them to consider the matter. "In light of my arguments, I recognise the irony of sending hard copies... But I don't have their email addresses."

The Hindu Morning Digest: July 8, 2025
The Hindu Morning Digest: July 8, 2025

The Hindu

time23 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

The Hindu Morning Digest: July 8, 2025

Trump to put 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, new import taxes on five other nations President Donald Trump on Monday (July 7, 2025) set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as new tariff rates on Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos and Myanmar, all of which would go into effect on August 1. Mr. Trump provided notice by posting letters on Truth Social that were addressed to the leaders of the various countries. The letters warned them to not retaliate by increasing their own import taxes, or else the Trump administration would further increase tariffs. India will give a 'new form' to BRICS grouping in 2026: PM Modi India will attempt to give a 'new form' to the BRICS next year, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his intervention at the grouping's summit in Rio De Janeiro on Monday (July 7, 2025), as the Indian side prepared to take over the leadership of BRICS from current president Brazil. In Bihar SIR challenge, Supreme Court refers to 1977 verdict on Election Commission's powers Even as a pitched legal battle lies ahead for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, the Supreme Court on Monday (July 7, 2025) drew petitioners' attention to a judgment which observed that the Constitution does not 'exalt' the Election Commission as a 'law unto itself'. Immediately stop Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, say INDIA bloc leaders Demanding a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, INDIA bloc leaders on Monday (July 7, 2025) criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI), and said the poll body was in a confused situation. Addressing a press conference in Patna, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and the Left parties said the ECI should not create doubts in the minds of common people and end the complex processes to strengthen democracy. Over 30 crore workers, farmers will join strike against govt.'s policies, say trade unions About 30-40 crore workers and farmers will participate in the general strike on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), claimed leaders of 10 central trade unions in New Delhi on Monday (July 7, 2025) while addressing a joint press conference. The leaders said preparations for the strike were complete and workers had supported the 17-point charter of demands of the strike, called against the Union government's policies. Ethnic conflict in Myanmar drives 4,000 Chin people to Mizoram A battle between two ethnic armed groups in Myanmar has forced some 4,000 Chin people in the country to take refuge in Mizoram. Officials in Mizoram's Champhai district said waves of Myanmar nationals began crossing a border bridge at Zokhawthar and the Tiau River since the gunfights broke out on July 3, 2025. The river demarcates a part of the 510 km border between Mizoram and Myanmar. Five members of family burnt alive in Bihar's Purnia district on allegation of witchcraft Five members of a family, three of them women, were burnt alive in Purnia district of Bihar over allegations of practising witchcraft, the police said. The incident took place on Sunday (July 6, 2025) night at Tetgama village under Muffasil police station limits. Lula tells Trump that world does not want 'emperor' after U.S. threatens BRICS tariff Developing nations at the BRICS summit on Monday (July 7, 2025) brushed away an accusation from President Donald Trump that they are 'anti-American,' with Brazil's President saying the world does not need an emperor after the U.S. leader threatened extra tariffs on the bloc.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store