Heatwaves and lightning should be added to national disaster list, Finance Commission says

The 16th Finance Commission has recommended that heatwaves and lightning strikes be included in India’s list of nationally notified disasters, citing their growing impact and rising death toll. It has also backed the continuation of a system that allows states to spend up to 10 per cent of their disaster relief funds on locally severe events not on the national list.

The recommendation comes as finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs 1.4 lakh crore in Finance Commission grants to states for the 2026-27 financial year, including allocations for disaster management, rural bodies and urban local bodies.

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According to the Commission, extreme heat disproportionately affects vulnerable and sensitive populations. Data show a sharp rise in both the number and intensity of extremely hot days in India between 1981 and 2022, with severe heatwaves recorded in 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2024.

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In light of these trends, the Commission concluded that both heatwaves and lightning should be formally recognised as national disasters, allowing states to access disaster relief funds more directly and consistently to respond to their growing impact.