Heat-linked deaths may rise in Mumbai & other cities: International study

MUMBAI: An international report has found that while nine Indian cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, focus on immediate responses to heat waves, long-term interventions remain scarce and, where they exist, are inadequately targeted.

"Without efficacious long-term strategies, India is likely to witness a higher number of heat-related fatalities due to more frequent, intense, and prolonged heat waves in forthcoming years," cautions the study, co-authored by scholars from Sustainable Futures Collaborative, King's College London, Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley.

Utilising climate models, the study identified nine cities - Bengaluru, Delhi, Faridabad, Gwalior, Kota, Ludhiana, Meerut, Mumbai and Surat - with populations exceeding 1 million (based on the 2011 Census) that are anticipated to experience the most substantial increases in hazardous heat index values, combining temperature and humidity, relative to their recent historical averages.

"Mumbai, with its 12.4 million population, is presently experiencing premature and extended heatwaves. Mumbai encounters elevated temperatures in summer and during the post-monsoon period due to heightened humidity. Increased humidity amplifies the heat index value of a locality, potentially diminishing bodily resilience and ability to cope with extreme heat through perspiration. Maharashtra possesses a State Heat Action Plan (HAP), while heat-resilience in Mumbai is additionally guided by the Mumbai Climate Action Plan. The HAP delineates actions to be undertaken by pertinent departments before, during and after a heat wave," the report said.

The analysis found that while all nine cities implement short-term emergency response measures, crucial long-term actions are either wholly absent or poorly targeted. Essential interventions such as household cooling provision for the most heat-exposed, work-loss insurance coverage, enhanced fire management services, and electricity grid improvements are notably lacking across all cities.

"In three cities - Mumbai, Bengaluru, Surat - we found the active, embedded engagement of civil society organisations over extended periods of time had the effect of focusing the bureaucracy on climate action, which suggests that more active civil society involvement is necessary to reduce state capacity deficits," the report said.