Tamil Nadu, UK launch Heat Resilience Centre to tackle rising extreme heat conditions
Chennai(PTI): Tamil Nadu government and the United Kingdom government on Friday jointly launched a "Heat Resilience Centre" for the state, aimed at strengthening the capacity to address rising extreme heat conditions.
A Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed between Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, Supriya Sahu and Seema Malhotra MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Government of the United Kingdom, according to a statement.
The Heat Resilience Centre would serve as Tamil Nadu's nodal institution to coordinate heat-risk management across sectors.
It would establish a scientific and institutional governance framework, build technical capacity across departments, including health and urban development, among others.
The centre would also generate evidence, climate data and policy-relevant tools. It would also support city and district-level heat action planning, an official release said on Friday.
The initiative is supported through the UK's flagship Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme, and it is being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Resources Institute. The programme would run till September 2026.
With this initiative, Tamil Nadu has become one of India's first states to create a dedicated institutional mechanism to address extreme heat, the release said.
Commenting on the occasion, Supriya Sahu said, "Accurate heat maps and clearly defined heat-risk zones should be an essential foundation for climate readiness in the State. Tamil Nadu is taking a science-first approach to identify heat risk zones in every city, so that planners, health systems, and local bodies know exactly where vulnerabilities lie."
"With high-resolution satellite data and ground sensors, we should be able to map heat the way we map floods or air pollution. This will enable us to redesign neighbourhoods, guide construction, strengthen ventilation corridors and create pockets of thermal safety," she added.
Seema Malhotra MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Government of the United Kingdom, said, "Extreme heat is one of the most urgent climate challenges we face. Without targeted action, the impacts of heat stress will continue to grow, affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the region."
"The United Kingdom is proud to partner with Tamil Nadu in this pioneering effort. The state has already demonstrated visionary leadership by being the first Indian state to establish a Green Climate Fund and recognise heatwaves as a state-specific disaster," Malhotra said.
"Today's launch of the Heat Resilience Centre marks an important milestone in this leadership journey," she added.
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RCB score imposing 240/4 against MI in IPL match
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions put up an imposing 240 for 4 -- the second-highest score this season -- against Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt smashed a 36-ball 78, studded with six boundaries and as many maximums, while stalwart Kohli made a composed 50 off 38 balls, as the duo put on a polished 120-run stand for the opening wicket.
Salt was dismissed by Shardul Thakur in his very first over, the team's 11th, providing a huge sigh of relief to MI.
Skipper Rajat Patidar then took over from where Salt left off, scoring a rapid 53 off just 20 balls, studded with four boundaries and five sixes, as RCB made quite a statement.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to field.
Brief scores: 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
