Delhi has developed a heat action plan to help vulnerable populations during extreme heat in the summer. The plan includes changing school timings, reducing non-essential water use, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to health facilities, and conducting daily surveys of vulnerable areas. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) created the plan and submitted it to the Centre. They also plan to test a project where roofs in certain areas will be painted white to keep indoor temperatures cooler.
The DDMA started working on the heat action plan in September of last year. The plan was vetted by the National Institute of Disaster Management and will be updated annually. The implementation of the plan will be overseen by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate at DDMA.
Delhi is known for its hot climate and is highly susceptible to heat waves due to its large population and concentration of lower-income groups. Climate change has led to more intense and frequent heat waves. According to a paper by M Rajeevan and other scientists, India reported 706 heatwave incidents from 1971-2019, resulting in over 17,000 deaths. A study by the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar predicts that severe heat waves in India could increase by 30 times by 2100.
