Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness for the hot weather condition in the upcoming summer season and called for preparing separate awareness material for different stakeholders like common citizens, medical professionals, local body authorities and disaster response teams.

The PMO, in a statement, said that Modi was briefed about the weather forecast for the next few months and on the likelihood of a normal monsoon and their impact on Rabi crops. He was also briefed about the preparedness of medical infrastructure, disasters related to heat and mitigation measures, it said.

The Food Corporation of India was asked to take measures to ensure optimal storage of grains in extreme weather conditions, the PMO said, noting the prime minister was also briefed about the expected yield of major crops.

Modi instructed the Indian Meteorological Department to prepare daily weather forecasts in a manner which makes predictions easy to interpret and disseminate.

TV news channels and FM radio among other media outlets could spend a few minutes daily to explain the daily weather forecast so that citizens can take necessary precautions, the statement said.

He also stressed the need for detailed fire audits of all hospitals and said mock fire drills be conducted by firefighters in all hospitals. Ongoing efforts to monitor irrigation water supply, fodder and drinking water were also reviewed in the meeting, the statement said.

Modi was briefed about the preparedness of states and hospital infrastructure in terms of the availability of required supplies and preparedness for emergencies. He was also updated about various efforts underway across the country to prepare for disasters related to heat and mitigation measures in place, it said.

Officials attending the meeting were instructed to incorporate some multimedia lecture sessions in schools to sensitise children on dealing with extreme heat conditions.

Modi said protocols and dos and don’ts for hot weather should be prepared in accessible formats, and various other modes of publicity like jingles, films and pamphlets should be prepared and issued.

The need for a coordinated effort to deal with forest fires was also pointed out at the meeting. It was discussed that systemic changes should be made to support efforts to prevent and tackle forest fires.

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