Ensure effective measures and raise awareness to prevent heatwave in the state: CM Yogi

CM Yogi unveils state heatwave action plan 2025 and city action plans for Lucknow, Agra, and Jhansi

Lucknow : Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a high-level review meeting on heatwave management at Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhawan on Wednesday. He assessed the preparedness of various departments and issued necessary instructions to ensure effective measures against heatwave-related incidents.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted the need for heightened vigilance and preventive steps to minimize risks. He stated that loss of lives due to heatwaves is unacceptable and cannot be compensated with financial aid. Highlighting the severe impact on affected families, he said that every life is valuable, and authorities must take all necessary precautions to prevent such tragedies.

The Chief Minister said that some districts in the state are already experiencing heatwave-like conditions, so all departments need to remain alert and take necessary actions. He emphasized the importance of spreading awareness at the district and tehsil levels about heatwaves, their dangers, and protective measures.

He also highlighted the need to protect forests from fire incidents and said that no miscreants should be able to set fire to forests. For this, patrolling should be increased. He instructed the Forest and Fire Departments to stay alert and take precautions to prevent fires caused by sparks. He said that the Fire Department will play a crucial role in these efforts.

“The Forest Department must ensure the availability of drinking water for birds and wild animals. The responsibility of forest guards and officials should be clearly defined to maintain accountability,” he added.

The Chief Minister directed that early warning systems be installed in every district, ensuring that cost should not be a concern. These systems should also be placed in high-risk areas to alert people about upcoming disasters in time.

He emphasized making village heads (Pradhans) and Gram Sevaks accountable and ensuring regular monitoring and action based on their responsibilities. Highlighting that lightning strikes are also a major issue in high-risk heatwave districts, he stated that if an alert is issued three hours in advance, movement in sensitive areas can be restricted, preventing casualties. He also instructed regular monitoring of equipment, warning systems, and their coverage to ensure effective disaster preparedness

CM Yogi highlighted that districts like Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, and Ghazipur experience the highest number of lightning incidents. He instructed officials to alert farmers in high-risk areas to prevent loss of life. People should be informed in advance through SMS alerts and public address systems.

The Chief Minister directed that a widespread awareness campaign on heatwave safety be conducted in coordination with the Information Department.

He emphasized that district, tehsil, and block headquarters should actively promote heatwave precautions. For this, digital displays, hoardings, billboards, and various other mediums should be used to spread information. He also stressed that public awareness about safety measures and preparedness should be included in advertisements to help prevent loss of life and property.

He said that while school examinations are ongoing, efforts should be made to educate students about heatwave precautions through seminars and other means. He also instructed officials to ensure a steady supply of clean drinking water in crowded areas, banks, and other institutions.

Additionally, he directed that Water ATMs used during the Mahakumbh be sent to all districts, with one Water ATM in each district as a Prasad, ensuring free drinking water. He also encouraged banks and entrepreneurs to install more Water ATMs through CSR initiatives.

The Chief Minister also directed the revival of stepwells, ponds, and rooftop water storage to improve water availability. He emphasized the need for special arrangements in hospital burn wards and called for public awareness campaigns on heatstroke prevention and first aid measures through various media platforms.

Reviewing the preparations for heatwave management in the state, the CM launched the State Heatwave Action Plan 2025, along with the City Action Plans for Lucknow, Agra, and Jhansi. He instructed that the book should also be available in simple Hindi so that people in villages, urban areas, and gram panchayats across all districts can easily read and understand it.

It is important to note that an action plan for environmental protection is already in place for all districts, and heatwave has been officially declared a disaster in Uttar Pradesh.