Delhi is planning to change the school timings to alleviate the impact of extreme heat on susceptible populations in peak summers, according to the city's new heat action plan. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has prepared the action plan and submitted it to the Centre last month. The authorities have also stated that the education department will have to ensure that schools do not function during peak hours (12 Noon to 4 PM) when a heatwave is declared.
Apart from the change in school timing, the DDMA action plan includes suspension of non-essential water use and a pilot project to paint roofs in identified areas with white colour to help keep the indoors cooler. The nodal officer, who will be responsible for the implementation of the heat action plan (HAP), is still to be appointed, a DDMA official told PTI.
Due to its dense population and considerable concentration of lower-income people, Delhi is one of India's hottest cities and among the most vulnerable to heat waves. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of heat waves.
Three stages will comprise the implementation of the heat action plan: Phase 1 (pre-heat season -- February and March) focuses on creating early warning systems and a communication strategy for sending out notifications to members of the public, medical professionals, and volunteer groups (caregivers). The emphasis is on educating and empowering these people.
Temples, public buildings, malls, and temporary night shelters will all be turned into "cooling centers" in Phase 2 (March to July) to provide outdoor laborers, slum communities, and other vulnerable populations with access to shaded areas.
The Delhi HAP uses the India Meteorological Department's heatwave forecasts for the following seven days to color-code its notifications to the local populace.
When the highest temperature rises by at least 6 degrees Celsius over usual, a "red alert" will be issued. The maximum temperature will trigger a "orange alert" if it is four to five degrees Celsius over average, and a "yellow alert" if it is between 0 and 3.9 degrees Celsius above average.
According to the plan, those most at risk from high heat include infants, expectant and nursing mothers, people over 60, families living below the poverty line in substandard housing, the elderly and infirm, those living alone, and people with pre-existing medical conditions or on specific medications, people with limited mobility or impaired thermoregulatory capacity, and individuals engaged in outdoor occupations.
(WIth PTI Inputs)
