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A pilot project on painting roofs in white, also called ‘cool roofs,’ ensuring schools don’t function in the afternoon when the heat is at its peak, and making medical mobile vans available in high-risk areas of heat wave, are among the measures suggested in a heat action plan prepared for Delhi.Asking power companies to prioritise maintaining supply to critical facilities like hospitals, training school teachers to disseminate heat protection tips in classrooms, and dedicated beds in hospitals, are other measures that the plan has suggested.The ‘cool roof’ programme needs to be targeted at the most vulnerable settlements with poor quality homes that trap heat and become dangerously hot, the plan stated.The plan has been prepared by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and sent to the National Institute of Disaster Management for vetting and suggestions, which were incorporated, and then has been sent to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for consideration, according to an official in the DDMA.
“These are suggestive measures on what different agencies may follow to mitigate the impact of heatwaves. Last year, we saw a hot summer, and it was stated that Delhi didn’t have a heat action plan. The DDMA worked on it, and consulted stakeholders,” the official said.
The plan identifies wards that recorded high land surface temperature in May 2019 – Harkesh Nagar, Khyala, Wazirpur, Bijwasan, Vishwas Nagar, Hari Nagar, Jahangirpuri, Delhi Gate, and Shastri Park. “The zones Narela and Najafgarh recorded a maximum land surface temperature of 60.48 °C and 59.06 °C,” according to the plan.
In these wards, heatwave vulnerability was analysed considering aspects including access to water, electricity, health, housing, cooking, and sanitation.
“The hotspots identified during the vulnerability assessment of heatwaves undergo significant rise in temperatures as compared to the rest of the city,” the plan said.
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