New Delhi, 7 June (IANS). Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr. P.K. Mishra has said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has adopted a well-thought out and further thinking strategy to deal with the scorching heat.
While giving the main speech during the special session on ‘Risk of Torrent Heat Management’ in Geneva, he emphasized that the rising temperature is creating a great risk for public health, economic stability and ecological flexibility.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday, Dr. Mishra said, “India welcomes the initiative ‘shared structure for risk management of scorching heat’ from the United Nations Disaster Risk Library Office (UNDRR). This initiative will work as a platform for sharing, guidance and cooperation.”
Dr. Mishra said that India is no longer limited to responding to disasters, but has adopted integrated strategies of preparation and rescue. Since 2016, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has developed extensive national guidelines on heatwave management, which were amended in 2019, which laid the foundation for the decentralized heat action plan.
He praised Ahmedabad’s ‘Heat Action Plan’, showing how timely warnings, coordination between various agencies and access to the community can save people’s lives.
The Principal Secretary said, “Heat action plans are active in more than 250 cities and districts of 23 states affected by heat, which have the support of NDMA’s advisory, technical and institutional mechanisms.”
He emphasized that there has been a significant decrease in heat related mortality due to strong monitoring, hospitals preparation and awareness campaigns.
India’s approach is of the overall government and the overall society, including ministries associated with health, agriculture, urban development, labor, electricity, water, education and infrastructure.
Dr. Mishra said, “Excessive heat affects communities deeply and India has actively incorporated traditional knowledge and local experiences in its response.”
He said that school has become a catalyst of behavior change, who educate children about climate flexibility. He also emphasized that hospitals and primary health centers should be strengthened to ensure quick and effective emergency response. Mishra confirmed that India is integrating the urban therm island (UHI) assessment in urban planning.
He appealed to focus global focus on developing localized heat-humidity index based on real-time data, so that pre-warning systems could be improved, building technologies and passive cooling innovations can be carried forward, which are affordable and culturally suitable and equality related concerns, because excessive heat affects women, external workers and children.
-IANS
AKS/AS
