HEAT ACTION PLANS NEED BETTER FOCUS

THE Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in March predicted an increase in heat wave days and higher-than-normal temperatures from April to June, on the lines of last year's record-breaking temperatures that caused significant distress across North and Central India.

- JITENDRA CHOUBEY

There were more than 733 deaths and over 40,000 cases of heat stroke last year across 17 states, although the Central government said the numbers were less than half of the reported data. There is currently no standardised data collection model to evaluate the damage from heat waves.

The IMD also recommended precautions for vulnerable populations, such as children, elderly, and outdoor workers. Studies have revealed that outdoor workers in India are the most affected by heat, eating into their working hours by 20%. This decline impacts household economies and the country's GDP. Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to declining wages and rising healthcare costs, increasing the risk of falling into poverty.

A report by a Delhi-based climate think tank, Sustainable Future Collaborative (SFC), highlights that three-fourths of India's labour force is exposed to extreme heat. It quotes the International Labour Organisation's 2019 report, which predicts that by 2030, heat stress could reduce India's overall working hours by 5.8%, equivalent to 3.4 crore full-time jobs.

Heat has both near-term and long-term effects on human health. The human body responds to heat through redistributing blood flow to skin and sweat, which can in some cases increase cardiac oxygen demand and potentially lead to cardiac arrest. A 2023 study in Tamil Nadu found that occupational exposure to extreme heat more than doubled the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women.

The country developed its first Heat Action Plan (HAP) in 1999 with Odisha taking the initiative to do so. In 2010, India's National Action Plan on Climate Change recognised the heat-health issue. Subsequently, Ahmedabad developed South Asia's first city-level HAP in 2013 in response to a deadly heat wave in 2010. These plans aim to mitigate the negative impacts on productivity and health.