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