❖ The State government of Tamilnadu has declared heatwave as a disaster.
❖ The States including Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Kerala, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra, and Karnataka have already declared heat waves as a state-specific
disaster.
❖ The States are not eligible to get financial assistance from the Union government
under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 since heatwaves are not currently
classified as a national disaster in India.
❖ With the declaration, families of heat wave victims would get Rs 4 lakh relief.
❖ The government will use the State Disaster Response Fund to support these
efforts.
❖ Tamil Nadu has a long coastline where the humidity goes up during the summer
months.
❖ Cities like Madurai, Tiruchy, Vellore, Namakkal, Dindigul and Krishnagiri have
barren rocky hillocks which absorb and reflect heat even at nights.
❖ In April and May 2024, Erode and Karur recorded a temperature of above 40-
degree Celsius on 31 and 26 days respectively.
❖ Vellore and Tirupattur recorded high temperatures on 23 and 21 days each.