A recent study reveals that India’s major cities vulnerable to future heat waves prioritize immediate relief over lasting solutions. Conducted by the New Delhi-based Sustainable Futures Collaborative, the research assessed nine prominent urban centers—Bengaluru, Delhi, Faridabad, Gwalior, Kota, Ludhiana, Meerut, Mumbai, and Surat—representing over 11% of India’s city population.
The report highlights that while these cities swiftly act during heat waves, such as ensuring water supply, rescheduling work hours, and enhancing healthcare readiness, they lack durable, preventive strategies. Long-term risk-reduction efforts are either absent or poorly designed, leaving populations exposed to worsening heat threats.
Aditya Valiathan Pillai, Visiting Fellow at Sustainable Futures Collaborative, emphasized that enduring protective measures require years to yield results and should be urgently adopted to avert rising fatalities and economic strain.
Emergency steps currently rely more on directives from national and state disaster and health departments than on comprehensive heat action plans (HAPs). However, weak execution of HAPs limits their potential impact.
Critical gaps persist—occupational cooling for outdoor workers, insurance schemes to cover wage losses, improved fire management, and power infrastructure upgrades remain overlooked. Even initiatives like afforestation and rooftop solar panels fail to prioritize the most at-risk communities.
The health sector has made strides, such as staff training and mortality tracking. Yet, sectors like urban planning have yet to weave heat resilience into policies.
Challenges including poor departmental coordination, insufficient manpower, technical deficiencies, and complacency hinder long-term progress.
Recommendations urge city administrations to strengthen HAPs, utilize disaster funds, empower Chief Heat Officers with authority, and appoint dedicated, trained officials to lead climate risk management.