Rising Heat & Scientific Reality
- India is genuinely getting hotter, not just due to perception.
- Heat waves are more frequent, intense, and prolonged – 200% rise in cumulative heatwave days (177 in 2010 → 536 in 2024).
- IMD defines a heat wave as ≥40°C in plains / ≥30°C in hills with ≥4.5°C above normal for 2+ days.
Relevance : GS 1(Geography) , GS 3(Disaster Management)
Invisible Deaths & Data Gaps
- Official heat death data underreports reality: 20,615 deaths (2000–2020) vs GBD estimate: 1.5 lakh+ in 2021.
- Many deaths occur outside hospitals — at farms, construction sites, or homes.
- No standardized real-time surveillance, leading to poor public health response.
- Excess mortality analysis is more realistic — captures both direct and indirect heat-related deaths.
Economic Impacts
- 2022 heatwave reduced wheat yields by ~4.5%, up to 15% in some districts.
- Triggered record 207 GW electricity demand, straining grids and causing blackouts.
- Labour productivity fell, particularly in outdoor work (agriculture, construction).
- McKinsey: Heat-related productivity loss could cost 2.5–4.5% of GDP by 2030.
Loss of Traditional Wisdom
- Pre-modern India adapted wisely: breathable architecture (mud, lime, sandstone), water systems (stepwells, jaalis), and sun-sensitive routines.
- Navtapa (May 25–June 2) aligns with modern heatwave data — involved behavioural adaptations: hydrating diets, resting, etc.
- These traditions waned due to post-liberalisation development: concrete/glass architecture, rigid urban jobs, and ignored local materials.
Inadequate Heat Governance
- Ahmedabad’s 2014 Heat Action Plan (HAP) is a rare success — 1,190 lives saved annually.
- Other cities (e.g., Bhubaneswar, Nagpur) trying green roofs & urban greening.
- But most HAPs lack legal backing, dedicated funds, or clear accountability.
- Few cities have climate officers or climate-integrated master plans.
Rural India: The Blind Spot
- No rural heat action plans despite rural areas housing the most vulnerable.
- Schemes like MGNREGA, NHM, GPDP barely address heat.
- Panchayats lack funds, training, and institutional guidance.
- Vanishing water bodies, tree cover, and stepwells worsen rural vulnerability.
Poor Risk Communication
- Most people don’t understand “feels like” temperature, which includes humidity, wind, etc.
- 42°C could feel like 50°C — but public health messages don’t convey this effectively.
- Alerts are issued in English/Hindi, digital-only formats, excluding non-literate, regional, and migrant populations.
- Needs oral messaging, local languages, radio, posters, community workers.
Way Forward: Heat Resilience
- Immediate action:
- Roll out district-wise Heat Action Plans under Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- Create shaded rest areas, ensure clean water, and targeted alerts.
- Medium-term:
- Mainstream heat adaptation in PMAY, MGNREGA, NHM.
- Promote reflective roofs, green spaces, traditional cooling architecture.
- Use District Mineral Funds and 15th Finance Commission grants for climate adaptation.
- Long-term:
- Revise building codes to mandate passive cooling.
- Define clear institutional roles: IMD, NDMA, SDMAs, ULBs, Panchayats.
- Move from emergency response to anticipatory, resilient planning.
Final Insight
- India doesn’t lack knowledge, but integration of traditional practices + modern science is missing.
- Political will, institutional coordination, and inclusive planning are essential to cope with intensifying heat.
