Opinion Express View: Extended spells of intense heat are likely to be the new normal

The effects of global warming on the Indian summer have been evident for at least a decade. The hot weather regularly eats into spring in most parts of the country, and heat waves are no longer restricted to regions traditionally believed to be prone to high temperatures — northern, central and eastern India. The Konkan region and parts of Karnataka, for instance, experienced inordinately high temperatures as early as February. Now, for the second consecutive year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast above-normal temperatures for most parts of the country from April to June. It has warned of extended heat wave episodes that may last more than 10 days. Earlier, such episodes would last for four to seven days. However, last year, spells of intense heat stretched for over two weeks in several parts of the country.

The health effect of heat waves is a nascent field and data on mortality caused by them varies — the IMD, National Disaster Managxc oluimnement Agency, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and National Crime Records Bureau cite divergent figures. However, experts concur on the need to put in place measures to protect the most vulnerable. Most states have prepared heat action plans. However, by and large, these plans approach the problem from an emergency standpoint — they focus on providing access to drinking water, creating shelters or changing work schedules. The need — as underlined by a study by researchers from Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC), a New Delhi-based research outfit, and scientists at King’s College, London, and Princeton, Harvard and California universities — is to “make cooling available to the most heat-exposed, developing insurance cover for lost work, expanding fire management services and retrofitting electricity grids”.

Advertisement

There is near-unanimity on the need to account for local conditions while issuing heat wave alerts. Two years ago, for instance, a sunstroke tragedy in Navi Mumbai underscored the need to factor in humidity while evaluating the stress caused by scorching temperatures. Devoting special attention to urban heat islands is another imperative that cannot be delayed. These enclaves record much higher temperatures than the rest of the city because the heat does not have outlets to escape. The average March temperatures in the densely built Mumbai suburbs of Vasai and Ghatkopar, for instance, exceeded that of relatively greener Powai by as much as 13 degrees Celsius. In the long run, planners will need to find ways to reduce heat-retaining infrastructure and create more green spaces. Extended spells of intense heat are likely to be the new normal. The IMD’s alert should push policymakers towards heat-proofing cities and towns.