Context
Following the Sixteenth Finance Commission (FC-XVI) recommendations, the Union government included heatwaves and lightning among India’s 14 notified natural calamities for 2026–31. This enables systematic funding for heat-related relief, compensation and long-term risk reduction.
Explanation
- The Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides India’s disaster-financing framework.
- The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) finances immediate relief, while the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) supplements it during severe disasters.
- Earlier, States could treat heatwaves as local disasters and use only up to 10% of the SDRF.
- Inclusion removes this ceiling and makes heatwaves eligible under regular SDRF/NDRF norms.
- The State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) can finance cooling shelters, early-warning systems and heat-resilient infrastructure.
- The change ensures nationwide recognition, predictable funding and stronger implementation of Heat Action Plans (HAPs).
- Under Article 280, the Finance Commission can recommend the allocation of disaster-management funds between the Union and the States.
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