NEW DELHI: Delhi will alter school timings, suspend non-essential water use, provide uninterrupted power supply to health facilities and survey vulnerable locations daily to mitigate the impact of extreme heat on susceptible populations in peak summers, according to the city’s first heat action plan.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), which prepared the plan and submitted it to the Centre last month, also plans a pilot project to paint roofs in identified areas with white colour to help keep the indoors cooler.
“The DDMA started working on Delhi’s first heat action plan in September last year after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena convened a meeting in this regard. The National Institute of Disaster Management vetted it and provided suggestions,” a DDMA official said.
The heat action plan (HAP), which has now been sent to the National Disaster Management Authority, will be updated on an annual basis and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate at DDMA will act as the nodal officer for its implementation, the official added.
Delhi is one of the hottest cities in India and ranks among the most susceptible to heat waves due to its large population and a significant concentration of lower-income groups. Heat waves are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change.
India reported 706 heatwave incidents from 1971-2019 which claimed more than 17,000 lives, according to a paper authored by M Rajeevan, former secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, along with scientists Kamaljit Ray, S S Ray, R K Giri and A P Dimri. A study by the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar says India could witness a staggering 30-fold increase in severe heat waves by 2100.
The heat action plan will be implemented in three phases: Phase 1 (pre-heat season -- February and March) is dedicated to developing early warning systems and a communication plan for issuing alerts to the general public, healthcare professionals, and voluntary groups (caregivers). The focus is on training and capacity-building for these groups.
In Phase 2 (March to July), “cooling centres”, including temples, public buildings, malls, and temporary night shelters, will be activated to offer outdoor workers, slum communities, and other vulnerable populations access to shaded areas. Non-essential water uses will be suspended in case of water shortages.
The education department will have to ensure that “schools do not function during peak hours (12 noon to 4 pm)” when a heatwave is declared.
Under Phase 3, which will be implemented in the July-September period, cool resting centres will be established in high-risk areas and tree plantation will be undertaken in heat hotspots.As part of a trial project, roofs will be painted with white colour to help keep the surface cooler. Cool roof paints reflect sunlight away, preventing the roof from getting as hot as it would with regular paint.It calls for diligent monitoring of heat-related illnesses and fatalities at hospitals and health centres.