Climate activists have urged the Government of Delhi to come up with a heat action plan (HAP) at the earliest and have criticised a delay in its formulation.
Activists of non-governmental organisation (NGO) Greenpeace India unfurled a banner rading "Delhi is Burning - Where is the Heat Action Plan" outside the Delhi Secretariat building to protest the delay in formulation of HAP.
Terming HAP "crucial to safeguard Delhi" and its residents from heatwaves, the activists demanded that the Arvind Kejriwal government prepare it and put it up for consulation by the end of the month.
Criticising the administration for not coming up with a heat plan, the activists said that it shows a "concerning lack of action from the Delhi government".
"The absence of a heat wave action plan, despite the national guidelines, highlights a concerning lack of action from the Delhi government. With a population of over 18 million, including 11 million vulnerable citizens working in the informal sector, it is imperative for the Delhi government to release the Heatwave Action Plan without any delay. Protecting the health and livelihood of people from the devastating effects of heatwaves should be top priority," said Greenpeace India Campaign Manager Avinash Chanchal in a statement shared with Outlook.
Greenpeace's Avani Goel highlighted that people living informally, inlcuding migrant workers, are more vulnerable to the issue of heatwaves.
"In Delhi, over 60 per cent of residents are living in the informal parts of the city – becoming more vulnerable to heat. This includes migrant labourers fleeing climate-related impacts in their home regions and becoming victims to another climate disaster in Delhi. Moreover, heatwaves also pose massive risks to the elderly population and newborns. With the El Niño effect expected to bring even more extreme summers starting from mid-2023, we must act swiftly to avoid any further losses," said Goel in the statement.
In its statement, the activists referred to the recent deaths attributed to heatwaves to heatwaves in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and said that experts have noted that upcoming months can be even hotter. Notably, officials have disputed the connection of deaths with heatwaves and a government team is investigating the deaths in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia.
"This year too, heat waves are causing devastation; Uttar Pradesh has reported 54 deaths while Bihar has recorded 42 deaths in just three days. Experts, including the Indian Meteorological Department, have warned that the upcoming months will likely be hotter than usual, with a high chance of heat waves hitting central and northwestern India," said Greenpeace in the statement.
The activists also shared a letter sent to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in which they urged him to come up with HAP and also recommended a series of steps to address the issue of heatwaves. The letter termed the lack of response from the government on the issue a "display of indifference" towards "unfolding climate emergency".
Some of the steps that Greenpeace recommended, as per their statement, were: timely release of the HAP, incorporation of scientific climate projections based on local data from Delhi, the establishment of a sound early warning system, support for the most at-risk populations, policy integration and central funding, legally-binding mechanisms, provision of urgent healthcare for heatstroke victims, and the inclusion of nature-based cooling systems.
