The Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan was unveiled in 2013.
It has brought down heat wave linked deaths by up to 25%.
What was the condition in Ahmedabad?
In May 2010, Ahmedabad witnessed heatwaves with record-breaking temperatures that took a toll of 4,462 lives.
This was 1,344 deaths more than that in May 2009.
So the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC), public health experts and institutes, civil society groups and other stakeholders joined hands to prepare a comprehensive Heat Action Plan (HAP) in 2013.
What was the action plan about?
The HAP’s primary goal was to create public awareness about extreme climates and necessary steps to tackle it and save lives.
It involves -
Community outreach initiatives,
Putting an early warning system to provide a seven-day advance forecast
Capacity-building of health-care professionals to treat people with heat-related complications.
A nodal officer coordinates with other agencies and groups to implement the plan in summer when temperatures go up to 48°C.
Once the HAP is activated, the AMC issues colour-coded alerts or heat warnings based on weather forecasts.
e.g A Yellow alert is issued when the temperature is expected to range from 41.1°C to 43°C, Orange alert indicates a range of 43.1°C-44.9°C. The red alert signifies extreme heat upwards of 45°C.
Other actions envisaged in the plan include stocking ice packs in hospitals and health centres, extra water supplies in the vulnerable areas, opening drinking water centres, running fountains and water sprinklers at crossroads and altering school and college timings to ensure that children don’t venture out during peak heat.
The mortality has come down 20-25% with the implementation of the HAP.
Following this civic bodies in Nagpur and Bhubaneswar have also launched a similar initiative.
