Indian cities most vulnerable to heat waves focus on short-term fixes: Report
New Delhi (PTI): Some of India's cities most vulnerable to future heat waves focus mainly on immediate responses while long-term measures remain rare, according to a study published on Wednesday.
The analysis by the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, a New Delhi-based research organisation, examines how nine major Indian cities -- Bengaluru, Delhi, Faridabad, Gwalior, Kota, Ludhiana, Meerut, Mumbai and Surat -- are preparing for the increasing threat of extreme heat.
These cities together account for over 11 per cent of India's urban population.
The report said that while all nine cities focus on short-term responses to heat waves, "long-term actions remain rare and where they do exist, they are poorly targeted".
Without effective long-term strategies, India is likely to witness more heat-related deaths due to more frequent, intense and prolonged heat waves in the coming years, the authors said.
"Many of the long-term risk reduction measures we focus on will take several years to mature. They must be implemented now, with urgency, to have a chance of preventing significant increases in mortality and economic damage in the coming decades," said Aditya Valiathan Pillai, Visiting Fellow at Sustainable Futures Collaborative and Doctoral Researcher at King's College London.
Most cities studied have adopted short-term measures such as ensuring drinking water access, adjusting work schedules and increasing hospital capacity before or during heat waves, according to the report which is based on interviews with city, district and state government officials responsible for implementing heat-related actions.
Key emergency responses are mainly driven by national and state disaster management and health authorities rather than heat action plans (HAPs). Since HAPs focus largely on long-term strategies, their weak implementation limits their effectiveness, the report said.
The authors said that these cities lack measures such as occupational cooling for workers exposed to extreme heat, insurance for lost wages, better fire management and power grid upgrades. Some initiatives, like tree planting and rooftop solar, do not target the people who need them the most.
While the health sector has taken steps such as training healthcare workers and monitoring heat-related deaths, other critical sectors, including urban planning, have not integrated heat concerns into their policies. The focus remains on treating heat impacts rather than preventing them, the report said.
It pointed out that cities manage short-term measures using existing budgets, but structural changes, such as urban cooling and infrastructure upgrades, require dedicated financial support.
The authors identified poor coordination among government departments, staff shortages, technical gaps and a lack of urgency about heat risks as major obstacles to sustained heat adaptation efforts.
They recommended that local governments use heat action plans to focus on long-term solutions, track their success and ensure they protect the most vulnerable areas.
States can use national and state disaster funds to reduce heat risks and invest in long-term solutions, they said.
The authors also suggested that if cities appoint Chief Heat Officers (CHOs), they must have enough authority and resources to address heat-related challenges. Otherwise, they will struggle like current heat officers.
They also recommended that India's 10 most heat-affected cities train officials responsible for implementing heat-related policies.
Every district facing serious climate risks should have permanent, well-trained disaster management staff to prepare for future heat waves, they added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
