With maximum temperatures in many parts of the country already nearing 40 degrees Celsius, and a worsening drought condition in southern states, various central agencies have got together on a plan.India Meteorological Department (IMD), the National Disaster Management Authority and partner associations like the Red Cross and Medical Council of India (MCI) have devised a procedure for vulnerable states and district administrations.For the highly vulnerable 40-50 districts, the action plan includes changes in school timings, lowering the exposure levels of people who work in the open, and for hospitals in these areas to shift the maternity and child care wards to lower floors, as children and pregnant women are most susceptible to heat stroke. The highly vulnerable districts are in Vidarbha, Telangana, north interior Karnataka, Marathwada, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Rayalaseema. As many as 11 states have already developed their own heat action plan and are said to be .
