Amid growing concerns over climate-driven disasters, the Centre on Jattvibeday directed authorities to develop an early warning system for at least 60 high-risk glacial and mountain lakes across the Himalayan region, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting on the country’s preparedness for floods and heat waves.The proposed system will cover vulnerable lakes in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim with support from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), amid increasing fears of glacial lake outburst floods and extreme weather events linked to climate change.Chairing the meeting in New Delhi, Shah said the country must move towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Zero Casualty Disaster Management’ and stressed the need for a more coordinated and technology-driven disaster response mechanism.He called for an integrated flood forecasting and reservoir operation system at both the Centre and state levels, saying weather forecasts and warnings must be disseminated “widely and effectively” to ensure timely action on the ground.The Home Minister also directed all states to constitute and activate Flood Crisis Management Teams (FCMTs) to strengthen preparedness ahead of the monsoon season.Shah said compliance with disaster management guidelines issued by the NDMA should be reviewed at the state, district and municipal levels to improve implementation and accountability. He asked the NDMA to study how effectively states were following guidelines related to floods, forest fires and heat waves.Highlighting the growing impact of heat waves on agriculture and water security, Shah said efforts should be made to minimise crop losses and improve groundwater levels through water storage projects and check dams.“Our objective should be to conserve water while minimising the impact of heat waves,” he said, adding that the CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority) Fund should be used in a more “multi-dimensional” manner to maintain environmental balance.The Home Minister also called for a comprehensive master plan to tackle changing weather patterns caused by climate change through a “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approach.Officials were asked to strengthen and integrate existing disaster management apps and portals instead of creating new platforms.The meeting reviewed several measures undertaken in recent years, including extending rainfall and flood forecast timelines from three days to seven days by the India Meteorological Department and the Central Water Commission, along with improved heatwave forecasting systems.