Parliamentary Panel Warns Of Climate Risks & Extreme Heat, Slams Fund Underuse

Last Updated:August 11, 2025, 10:28 IST

The panel will also visit Chandigarh and Mumbai in September to assess air and water pollution control efforts and inspect the work done by scientific institutions

While recent studies confirm that climate change is making heatwaves more intense and frequent every year, they are now also impacting larger areas than before. (AP)

With India facing the mounting challenge of extreme heat, a Parliamentary Standing Committee has sounded the alarm on the intensifying heatwaves due to climate change and urged stronger heatwave action plans for the country.

“Climate change is a global concern, and India among the populous countries needs to be more concerned about that," it stated.

In its report to Parliament, the Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change cautioned the environment ministry that, in view of the recent climatic trends, the coming months of the year 2025-26 are likely to see temperatures soaring to 1-3°C higher than the average temperatures recorded in the past across various cities, especially Delhi where the temperature may be abnormally high during the summer season of 2026.

“The committee is extremely concerned over such alarming reports… If this happens, it will have devastating consequences for human habitats, birds, animals, and the environment," it stated, urging stronger implementation of a national-level Heat Action Plan (HAP) to mitigate the hotter-than-usual weather.

While recent studies confirm that climate change is making heatwaves more intense and frequent every year, they are now also impacting larger areas than before. In its response, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change informed that Heat Action Plans (HAPs) led by IMD and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have been implemented in 23 states that are prone to high temperatures leading to heat-wave conditions.

In its Action Taken Report submitted in Parliament, the committee also noted that though government’s tree plantation campaign—“Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam"—surpassed its 140-crore target for seedlings by March 31, it still faces high sapling mortality rates. “There is a need not only to plant the trees but also to ensure that once planted, they are looked after well and continue to survive and grow," it urged.

DELAYED FUND UTILISATION

The panel also raised concerns over delayed fund utilisation and uneven execution of key environmental programmes by the environment ministry as well as erratic funding for the National Coastal Mission and delays in rolling out the revamped “Control of Pollution" scheme.

In its report earlier this year, the committee had expressed alarm at the underuse of Rs 858 crore meant for pollution control in 2024–25, since the approval for continuation of the scheme till 2025-26 was awaited, even at the fag-end of the financial year. The ministry has now informed that the revamped scheme has been approved.

The panel also pressed for the notification of eco-sensitive zones around all protected areas, tighter mitigation of human–wildlife conflicts, and increased funding for environmental education and research.

On climate change, the report welcomed India’s updated NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) commitments—including a 45 per cent reduction in emissions intensity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070—but emphasised that global funding shortfalls due to the US backing out and slow international progress require India to “take responsibility and work towards achieving its goals" through both domestic and global cooperation.

The committee plans a September study visit to Chandigarh and Mumbai to assess air and water pollution control measures and functioning of some of the scientific institutions at these places.

Srishti Choudhary

Srishti Choudhary, Senior Assistant Editor at CNN-News18 specializes in science, environment, and climate change reporting. With over a decade of extensive field experience, she has brought incisive ground repo...Read More

Srishti Choudhary, Senior Assistant Editor at CNN-News18 specializes in science, environment, and climate change reporting. With over a decade of extensive field experience, she has brought incisive ground repo...

Read More

Location :

First Published:

August 11, 2025, 10:28 IST

News india Parliamentary Panel Warns Of Climate Risks & Extreme Heat, Slams Fund Underuse

Read More