NDMA Plans 300 More Heat Action Plans as Mercury Rises

States are mandated to develop and implement 'heat HAPs' for prevention of heat-induced diseases. But most do not go beyond standard advisory on heat prevention.

As the country gears up for yet another scorching summer, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is planning to come up with 300 more heat action plans (HAPs) at the city level, a senior official said on Monday.

Heatwaves kicked off by February-end, sooner than expected, this year, with temperatures soaring above 40°C in states like Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, West Bengal and Odisha.

Heatwaves are anticipated to continue in these regions till Tuesday.

During the next four-five days, Northwest India is also likely to see a gradual rise of about 3-5°C in maximum temperatures, the India meteorological department (IMD) said on Monday.

"NDMA and the ministry of home affairs (MHA) have been pushing for the creation of HAPs.

"Nearly 200 such plans have been finalised in India at the city level.

"We are now trying to scale it up to another 300," Safi Ahsan Rizvi, advisor at the NDMA, said at the Global Heat and Cooling Forum conference.

HAPs are standard operating procedures (SOPs) which states/c­ities/municipal bodies need to follow to tackle heat-related impacts.

The HAP is a framework developed by governments to prepare for, respond to, and recover from extreme heat events, aiming at reducing the effects on public health and infrastructure.

These plans may include emergency response activities, long-term heat preparedness and cooling interventions across sectors.

States are mandated to develop and implement 'heat HAPs' for prevention of heat-induced diseases. But most do not go beyond standard advisory on heat prevention.

Rizvi added, "Once these HAPs are in place, the big job for all of us starts -- how to push it through.

"So, getting the district magistrates oriented and bringing the HAPs down from government paper are the basic tasks that NDMA has taken upon itself over the next few years."

The earth sciences ministry, last year, informed Parliament that the 15th Finance Commission did not find much merit in the request to expand the scope of disasters eligible for financial assistance.

Hence, extreme heat is not yet considered a natural disaster or calamity eligible for assistance.

The ministry also said that heatwave deaths are falling due to better weather prediction by the IMD.

According to a UN report, India reported as many as 40,000 cases of suspected heat strokes and over 100 deaths till mid-June last year when temperatures shot up to nearly 50°C, especially in East and Northwest regions.

According to data from the Met bureau, the country recorded 536 heatwave days during the summer of 2024, the highest since 2010, which saw 578 heatwave days.

Heat stress presents a substantial yet often underestimated risk, particularly in an economy where around 85 per cent of the Indian workforce is engaged in the informal sector, according to government and International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates.

Sectors most vulnerable to heat include farming (45.5 per cent), construction (9-12 per cent), and street vending (about 9 per cent).

ILO warned that over 70 per cent of the global workforce -- 2.4 billion people -- are now at high risk of extreme heat, resulting in 22.85 million injuries and 18,970 deaths annually among workers.

"Climate change, manifested through rising temperature and changing patterns of monsoon rainfall in India, could cost the economy 2.8 per cent of its GDP.

"It could depress the living standards of nearly half of its population by 2050," said a RBI report.

According to a 2022 World Bank report, India could account for 34 million of the projected 80 million global job losses from heat stress associated with productivity decline by 2030.

Further, up to 4.5 per cent of India's GDP could be at risk by 2030 owing to lost labour hours from extreme heat and humid conditions.

NDMA is also working on an earthquake mitigation plan.

"The Indian government has approved $30 billion over 5 years (2021-2026) for disaster management. Of the $30 billion, $6 billion is for mitigation.

"In the last financial year, the government approved $850 million for mitigation programmes," Rizvi added.

Heat hazards

• Nearly 200 HAPs have been finalised in India at the city level
• According to a UN report, India reported 40,000 cases of heat strokes and over 100 deaths till mid-June last year
• According to the Met bureau data, it recorded 536 heatwave days during summer of 2024, the highest number since 2010
• ILO warned that over 70% of the global workforce are now at high risk of extreme heat
• According to a 2022 World Bank report, India could account for 34 million of the projected 80 million global job losses from heat stress

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com