Tuesday, June 20, 2017

India steps up efforts to mitigate heat wave deaths

Every summer, a deadly heat wave in India claims many lives. In the last four years, over 4000 people have died. This year the death toll stands at 200.

With temperatures touching 47 degrees in many parts of India, our India correspondent Neha Poonia reports on the Indian government's heat wave action plan.

IN: 'The heat in....'
OUT: SOC
The heat in India can be fatal. This year, in two months, 200 people have died.

Until two years ago, India had no action plan to tackle heat related deaths. It all changed in 2015, when over 2000 people died in a severe heat wave.

Kanduri Ramesh from India's Meteorological Department explains who things have changed in two years.

"There was no such mechanism- after a heat wave happened, we would inform people the day after. Now before the summer begins, we are issuing a forecast- spreading awareness."

Today, a nation wide heat wave advisory is issued everyday- urging people to stay indoors and stay hydrated.

The National Disaster Management Authority's V Thiruppugazh claims that most people don't take a heat wave warning seriously.

"Education, understanding and implementing there is gap- this has to be bridged. We keep reiterating that heat wave deaths are avoidable, heat wave deaths can be reduced."

By next year, India wants to eliminate all heat wave deaths. But the country still has a long way to go. During a heat wave, the most vulnerable are India's poor- people like Ramzan and Rubeena who have no option but to step out into the heat to earn a living.

Ramzan says, "I can't sit at home- even if it is very hot. I am poor and need to be out to sell my goods. How else will I feed myself?" Rubeena echoes him to say, "It is so hot. It becomes very difficult to work."

One fourth of all India's citizens earn less than $2 per day- they have no means to cool themselves or even stay hydrated in this heat.
 
Where the government falls short, individuals like Alag Natarjan are stepping up. He delivers over 2000 liters of potable water to Delhi's urban slum dwellers everyday.

He has also built shelters in and around Delhi where people can come rest when the sun gets too harsh

"For us affluent we drink 3-5 bottles of water every day. For the poor, they don't have this luxury. They stretch one bottle of water all day till they can get to their next point. They are all scavenging for water, it's unfair. I think you have to shake the community up a little to say this can't carry on."
 
Citizens like Alag Natarajan are exceptions. As global warming continues to push the mercury higher, the rising temperatures have put the heat on the Indian government.



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