Governance

The system is planned for installation in September 2026 through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Thiruvananthapuram, subject to final approval from the National Disaster Management Authority. Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner and District Disaster Management Authority Chairman Kiran Bhadana said the system would continuously monitor the lake’s water level and other critical parameters and transmit information in real time.

The Clinical Establishment Act Standards for Mortuary, prepared under the National Council for Clinical Establishments and the Directorate General of Health Services, mark an attempt to bring greater consistency to an area of healthcare and forensic infrastructure that has traditionally operated under differing state-level procedures, police manuals, hospital practices and medico-legal rules. The official Clinical Establishments portal now lists the mortuary standards among its prescribed minimum standards.

The Department of Consumer Affairs notified the rules on 27 August 2026. They will come into force 180 days after their publication in the Official Gazette, providing government departments, businesses, financial institutions, technology companies and other organisations time to modify their systems and prepare for compliance.

The achievement reflects a sharp improvement in the effectiveness of the system. According to DoT, monthly handset recoveries increased by 201% between April 2025 and July 2026, supported by closer coordination between its Digital Intelligence Unit, field-level Licensed Service Areas and police authorities.

The inclusion brings the nationally notified list to 14 hazards and represents an important shift in how India treats two weather-related threats that claim thousands of lives, disrupt livelihoods and increasingly affect communities across large parts of the country.