Heatwaves and Lightning as Natural Calamities: SDRF/NDRF Relief Rules 2026

Subject: GS 3: Disaster Management 

Context: The Centre has included heatwaves and lightning as notified natural calamities under the SDRF/NDRF operational guidelines (2026–31) following the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations.

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About Natural Calamities

• A natural calamity is a severe disaster caused by natural processes such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones or droughts that results in significant loss of life, property, livelihoods and environmental damage beyond the coping capacity of the affected community.
• Legal Provision: The Disaster Management Act, 2005 does not define the term natural calamity; instead, Section 2(d) defines a disaster as a catastrophe, mishap or calamity arising from natural or man-made causes that causes substantial human, material, economic or environmental losses.
  • The Calamities Notification Process is the mechanism through which the Union Government officially notifies specified disasters, enabling relief measures and financial assistance under the disaster management framework.
• Notified Natural Calamities (2026–31 Guidelines): Cyclone, Drought, Earthquake, Fire, Flood, Tsunami, Hailstorm, Landslide, Avalanche, Cloudburst, Pest attack, Frost and cold wave, Heatwave and Lightning.
  • Now, the nationally recognized disasters expand from 12 to 14 categories.
• Impact of Classification as Natural Calamities: States can utilize State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) resources to provide timely relief, compensation and rehabilitation to people affected by the Natural Calamities.

About Heatwaves

• A heatwave is a prolonged period of abnormally high temperatures that exceeds the normal climatic conditions of a region and poses serious risks to human health, agriculture and ecosystems.
  • For stations with normal maximum ≤ 40°C: Heatwave declared at 5°C to 6°C departure from normal.
    • Severe heatwave declared at 7°C or more departure from normal.
  • For stations with normal maximum > 40°C: Heatwave declared at 4°C to 5°C departure from normal.
    • Severe heatwave declared at 6°C or more departure from normal
• Impact of Heatwave: Between 1 March and 26 July 2026, India reported 4,853 heatstroke cases and 20 confirmed deaths, with Telangana recording the highest number of cases.

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About Lightning

• Lightning is a sudden electrostatic discharge occurring within clouds, between clouds or between clouds and the ground during thunderstorms.
• Total Fatalities: Lightning kills between 2,000 and 2,500 people annually in India, making it the country’s deadliest extreme weather hazard.
• Most Affected States: The highest casualty rates occur in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh due to severe monsoon convective storms.
  • Rural areas account for 96% of all fatalities, leading the government to classify lightning as a national natural calamity for disaster fund relief

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