India, Aug. 5 -- Heatwave and lightning have been included in the list of notified natural calamities under the operational guidelines for the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the Union home ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, adding that at least 20 heat stroke deaths have been reported in the country between March 1 and July 26 this year.

"The 16th Finance Commission, in its recommendations for the award period 2026-31, recommended inclusion of heatwaves and lightning in the list of notified natural calamities, considering the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events arising from climate change," minister of state for home Nityanand Rai told the Lower House in r...