Poorest areas most vulnerable to heat
A heat wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures (more than the normal maximum temperature) that occurs during the summer season, with the resultant atmospheric conditions causing physiological stress, and sometimes death, among affected populations, according to the NDMA.
The Indian Meteorological Department uses several factors to quantify a heat wave:
weather conditions are not considered a heat wave unless the maximum temperature reaches 40°C in plain areas and 30°C in the hills.
the normal temperature in an area is less than 40°C, an increase of 5-6°C above 40°C constitutes a moderate heat wave while an increase of 7°C or more is a severe heat wave.
the normal temperature is more than 40°C, an increase of 4-5°C from this normal is considered a moderate heat wave, while an increase of 6°C or more is a severe heat wave.
the actual maximum temperature remains 45°C or more for two consecutive days, irrespective of normal maximum temperature, it is considered a heat wave.
Despite casualties, and the fact that heat wave deaths occur due to atmospheric conditions, heat waves are not included in the notified list of natural disasters, according to this response by the ministry of home affairs to a question asked in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament.
In 2016, the NDMA prepared guidelines for state governments to formulate action plans for the prevention and management of heat waves, outlining four key strategies: forecasting heat waves and enabling an early warning system; building capacity of healthcare professionals to deal with heat waverelated emergencies; community outreach through various media; and inter-agency cooperation as well as engagement with other civil society organisations in the region.
The NDMA says adopting these measures has brought heat wave-related mortality down in many places such as Ahmedabad. The city experienced a major heat wave in 2010 and registered over a 1,000 additional deaths in May that year that could be attributed to heat wave conditions. In 2013, the city adopted a ‘Heat Action Plan’ (HAP) that has reduced mortality in succeeding years. The primary objective of the HAP is to alert populations most at risk of heat-related illness to existing or impending extreme heat conditions and to take precautions.
At the same time, the India Meteorological Department publishes daily bulletins containing information about the prevailing temperature and a warning for coming days. For example, on May 17, severe heat wave conditions were observed at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, and heat wave conditions at isolated places over Odisha, Vidarbha, and Tamil Nadu, according to an IMD bulletin.
“The combination of exceptional heat stress and a predominantly rural population makes India vulnerable to heat waves. Vegetable vendors, auto repair mechanics, cab drivers, construction workers, police personnel, roadside kiosk operators and mostly weaker sections of the society have to work in the extreme heat to make their ends meet and are extremely vulnerable to the adverse impacts of heat waves such as dehydration, heat and sun strokes,” the NDMA guidelines say, “Therefore, it is not surprising that these workers, homeless people and the elderly constitute the majority of heat wave casualties in India.”
The HVI confirmed as much. Pointing out that the high and very high HVI districts are in the central part of the country, the paper said that with a higher tribal population, these states have been at the lower end of various health, education, economic and population growth indicators.
Among the solutions offered in the report were: to provide separate indices for urban and rural areas to enable more targeted interventions; deeper analysis of urban ward-level data to provide intra-city vulnerability patterns; public messaging (radio, TV), mobile phone-based text messages, automated phone calls and alerts; popularisation of simple design features such as shaded windows, underground water storage tanks and insulating housing materials; and provision of drinking water within housing premises and indoor toilets. (In an arrangement with Indiaspend. org, a data-driven, non-profit, public
interest journalism platform, with whom Mukta Patil is an analyst. The views expressed are those of Indiaspend.)