The National Human Rights Commission directed 21 states and Delhi to develop policies to protect citizens from heat exhaustion during heatwaves [1].

This directive comes as increasing temperatures pose a significant risk to public health, particularly for marginalized populations who lack access to cooling infrastructure. The commission is pushing for systemic measures to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths as extreme weather becomes more frequent.

On April 28, 2024, the commission issued the notice to the 21 states and the Union Territory of Delhi [1, 4]. The NHRC said that advance action is necessary to protect vulnerable groups from the effects of severe heat [1]. The body said that the rising frequency and intensity of these weather events disproportionately affect those already marginalized [1].

The order follows a period of extreme weather in North and Central India. In the Delhi NCR region, the India Meteorological Department had previously issued a yellow alert valid until April 24, 2024 [3]. During that period, maximum temperatures in the national capital and surrounding areas were forecast to reach 44°C [2].

Local authorities in the region have already begun implementing temporary measures to mitigate the risk to children. Schools in the Delhi NCR area have deferred timings to avoid the peak heat of the day. However, the NHRC is seeking more comprehensive, long-term policies rather than temporary adjustments.

The commission's directive emphasizes that heat exhaustion is not merely a weather event but a human rights concern. By requiring 21 states to formalize protection measures, the NHRC aims to standardize the response to climate-driven heat stress across the region [1].

“The NHRC directed 21 states and Delhi to develop policies to protect citizens from heat exhaustion.”

The NHRC's intervention signals a shift toward treating extreme heat as a systemic human rights issue rather than a seasonal weather inconvenience. By mandating policy frameworks across 21 states, the commission is attempting to force state governments to integrate climate adaptation into their public health and social welfare strategies, acknowledging that the poor and marginalized suffer most from rising global temperatures.