<p>The Odisha government has stepped up pressure on the Centre to include heat wave as well as lightning in the list of “approved calamities” so that the victims can get adequate financial compensation.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written a letter in this regard recently to Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. The Centre is yet to respond to the letter. “Considering the death figures due to heat wave and lightning in the state year after year, both natural disasters should be included in the list of approved calamities so that financing relating to them can be made from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Both should be included in the calamity list as early as possible,” said an official in the state secretariat. So far, 12 calamities have got the nod of the Centre for funding under the SDRF. <br /><br />They are cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, floods, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack and cold wave. The last one was included in the important list in August last year.<br />Meanwhile, with the death toll due to the severe heat wave sweeping across Andhra Pradesh since April 1 reaching 300 on Sunday, the government has decided to write to the Centre to enlist under the natural calamities’ category any death occurring due to extreme temperatures.<br /><br />“We will write to the Finance Commission that extreme heat wave conditions should also be notified as natural disaster,” said T Radha, Commissioner, Disaster Management.</p>
<p>The Odisha government has stepped up pressure on the Centre to include heat wave as well as lightning in the list of “approved calamities” so that the victims can get adequate financial compensation.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written a letter in this regard recently to Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. The Centre is yet to respond to the letter. “Considering the death figures due to heat wave and lightning in the state year after year, both natural disasters should be included in the list of approved calamities so that financing relating to them can be made from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Both should be included in the calamity list as early as possible,” said an official in the state secretariat. So far, 12 calamities have got the nod of the Centre for funding under the SDRF. <br /><br />They are cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, floods, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack and cold wave. The last one was included in the important list in August last year.<br />Meanwhile, with the death toll due to the severe heat wave sweeping across Andhra Pradesh since April 1 reaching 300 on Sunday, the government has decided to write to the Centre to enlist under the natural calamities’ category any death occurring due to extreme temperatures.<br /><br />“We will write to the Finance Commission that extreme heat wave conditions should also be notified as natural disaster,” said T Radha, Commissioner, Disaster Management.</p>