In a significant move, the West Bengal government has officially recognized heatwave-related deaths as a natural disaster. This decision will help families of those who lose their lives during intense heatwaves get financial support. The government has announced that Rs 2 lakh will be provided as compensation to the families affected.
This announcement came after a recent meeting of the State Executive Committee, where officials discussed the increasing number of heatstroke deaths across the state. Over the past few years, many people in districts like Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Burdwan, and Birbhum have died due to heatwave conditions that typically occur during summer.
The Chief Secretary of West Bengal, Manoj Pant, held a meeting in August to address this issue. It was decided that families of those who die from heatstroke during heatwaves would receive financial help. The government is now preparing a formal notification to implement this new policy.
To get the compensation, a post-mortem report will be required to confirm that the death was caused by heatstroke. Only after verifying the cause of death will the family receive the Rs 2 lakh aid. The entire process ensures transparency and aims to help families facing sudden loss during extreme heat conditions.
This move also allows the government to use funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to provide support. Usually, about 10% of the SDRF’s annual budget is allocated for natural disaster relief, including heatwave deaths.
Up until now, the West Bengal government has provided Rs 2 lakh compensation for deaths caused by accidents such as lightning strikes, fires, boat capsizing, falling walls, and other similar incidents. Now, heatwave deaths, along with other calamities like river erosion, heavy rains, wild animal attacks, electrocution, forest fires, and venomous animal bites, will be officially recognized as natural disasters for the first time.
This decision is a step forward in providing timely aid to families affected by natural calamities, especially as climate change makes extreme weather events more common.
