India Needs a Heatwave Policy

S India confronts yet another punishing summer; the realities of climate change are no longer abstract.

- Thamizhachi Thangapandian

The first nationwide heatwave alert of 2025 was issued as early as April 8, and large parts of the country are already experiencing temperatures soaring past historical norms. Yet, in the face of increasing fatalities, productivity loss and public health strain, the Union government continues to treat heatwaves as a seasonal nuisance rather than the climate emergency they are.

The UN secretary-general's 'Call to Action on Extreme Heat' warns that heat is now the deadliest of all climate hazards. For India, where 90 percent of the workforce is informal, healthcare systems are uneven, and urban heat islands are rapidly expanding, this danger is existential. But while states scramble to prepare, no overarching national heatwave policy offers coordination, funding, or technical guidance.

The result? A patchwork of uneven responses. Some states like Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir have introduced heat action plans with hydration points and early warnings. Others are still in the planning phase. These fragmented efforts often kick in after disaster strikes, leaving the most vulnerable—daily-wage laborers, the elderly, and children—at the mercy of extreme temperatures. There's no national framework to set standards, enforce accountability, or ensure that mitigation matches adaptation.