Vishwas Chitale, Fellow, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)
“The IMD has forecast that heatwave conditions will persist across northwest, central, and eastern India, including the NCR region, at least until April 26. This aligns with broader trends we are observing. As per CEEW’s analysis, nearly 57% of Indian districts, home to about three-fourths of the population, are already at high to very high heat risk. Beyond rising daytime temperatures, a critical concern is the sharp increase in warm nights—over 70% of districts have seen at least five additional warm nights annually in the last decade (2012–2022) compared to the 1982–2011 baseline. Combined with rising humidity in several regions, this is making heat stress more prolonged and dangerous, especially in cities where built-up areas trap heat and prevent nighttime cooling.
Cities must respond with both immediate and long-term measures anchored in Heat Action Plans. In the short term, this includes activating heat-health early warning systems, setting up accessible cooling centres, ensuring water availability, and protecting outdoor workers through adjusted working hours and shaded rest spaces. At the same time, cities need to invest in structural solutions such as expanding urban green cover, scaling cool roofs, restoring water bodies, and designing shaded, heat-resilient public infrastructure. Preparing for heat now requires moving from reactive responses to sustained, risk-informed urban planning.”
