New Delhi: Amid an intense nationwide heatwave, Supreme Court lawyer K. V. Dhananjay has called for declaring a “health emergency” and urged the Centre to convene a special session of Parliament to address the crisis.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the Speakers of both Houses and the Leader of the Opposition, Dhananjay described the current conditions as a “combined public-health emergency”, not just a routine summer.
He highlighted alarming temperature trends, including 47.4°C recorded in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, and widespread temperatures of 40–44°C across several regions. In many places, temperatures are reportedly 5°C above normal, significantly increasing the risk of heat stress.
The letter stressed that the crisis goes beyond heat alone, pointing to a “multifaceted threat” involving hot nights, rising humidity, water scarcity, and the urban heat-island effect. Dhananjay also noted that while 40°C is treated as a national emergency in some European countries, temperatures exceeding 45°C are becoming normalized in India.
Drawing a historical parallel with the Great Famine of 1876–78, he argued that even colonial administrations debated such crises, and modern India’s Parliament must not remain silent.
He warned that outdoor workers—including construction labourers, auto drivers, delivery personnel, and farmers—are the most vulnerable. “Every summer, the poor are forced to choose between livelihood and life,” he said.
Key Demands in the Letter:
Formulation of a national heat response plan
Better inter-ministerial coordination
Immediate support for states and local bodies
Establishment of a system to record heat-related deaths accurately
Referring to Article 85 of the Constitution, he emphasized that Parliament must meet regularly and noted a decline in the number of sessions in recent years.
“Heat does not discriminate—it may hit the poor first, but eventually affects everyone. Parliament must act now,” he urged.