New Delhi: As Delhi witnessed a dramatic shift in weather on Wednesday evening — from “feels like” temperatures of 50.2°C to a fierce dust storm, heavy rainfall, and hail — experts say the capital is facing far more than erratic weather.
Earlier in the day, the scorching heat had pushed the city to dangerous highs, worsening health risks for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, outdoor workers, and those with pre-existing conditions.
Speaking at the ETHealthworld webinar, titled “Unpacking Delhi’s Deadly Heatwave and Public Health Emergency,” top climatologists and public health specialists warned that Delhi’s increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves now constitute a full-blown public health emergency. Heatwaves are starting earlier, stretching longer, and becoming more intense with each passing year.
Experts warned that such extremes — swinging from oppressive heat to violent storms — are clear indicators of a climate emergency.
A Rising Threat: Earlier, Longer, and Deadlier Heatwaves
Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, a public health expert and founder-director of the Foundation for People-Centric Health Systems, emphasised that heatwaves are arriving earlier each year.
“In India this year, the first heatwave was recorded on March 15, compared to April 5 last year,” he said.
“Over the years, not only has the number of heatwave days increased, but their severity has also worsened.”
Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) supports this trend. Dr. M. Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, pointed out that Delhi’s urban heat island effect—caused by concrete infrastructure, dense populations, and scant green cover—amplifies this crisis.
“Urbanization is intensifying the heat,” he said, “and increasing the vulnerability of both individuals and urban systems.”
Dr. Amlendu Yadav, Head of Emergency Medicine at RML Hospital, presented a grim account from the frontlines: “Last year, most heatstroke victims we treated were from lower socioeconomic backgrounds—security guards, street vendors, construction workers, the elderly.”
He described how heatstroke, when body temperatures exceed 105°F, can lead to multi-organ failure—affecting the brain, kidneys, liver, and heart. “By the time they reach the hospital, 80–90 per cent of patients are already unconscious. If untreated, mortality can reach 90 per cent,” he warned.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), India reported over 25,000 deaths due to heatwaves between 1992 and 2019—a number that experts believe is underreported due to poor surveillance systems.
Dr. Yadav stressed the need to consider humidity alongside temperature to calculate the heat index, a better indicator of thermal discomfort. “Once humidity exceeds 75 per cent, our body loses the ability to cool itself, even if the temperature isn’t extremely high,” he explained.
This echoes calls from global health agencies, including the World Health Organization, to incorporate wet bulb temperature and other indices into public health advisories.
While many advisories suggest staying indoors during heatwaves, Dr. Lahariya challenged this assumption. “Data shows that in high-density urban clusters, indoor temperatures can often exceed outdoor temperatures,” he said. “We must shift from generic advisories to locality-specific guidance, sometimes suggesting shaded outdoor areas over poorly ventilated homes.”
Gaps in Planning and Coordination
India’s Heat Action Plans (HAPs)—currently developed by 23 states and 140 cities—remain underutilized, said Dr. Lahariya. “They often lack local specificity, budgetary provisions, and inter-agency coordination. Unless state bodies, municipal corporations, health departments, and NGOs work together, these plans will not succeed.”
Abinash Mohanty, Head of Climate Change and Sustainability at IPE Global, echoed this concern: “We must not treat this as a seasonal problem. The solutions are multi-sectoral and must include sustainable infrastructure, reliable electricity, and access to affordable cooling appliances.”
Mohanty also highlighted the inequity in access to cooling infrastructure. “We talk about air conditioners, but a large segment of the population doesn’t have access to even basic fans or electricity during heat alerts,” he said.
He called for cool roofing techniques, increased green cover with high-canopy trees, and enhanced public infrastructure to shield vulnerable groups.
Dr. Lahariya underscored the broader implications: “This is not just about coping with heat. Rising temperatures affect nutrition, vector-borne diseases, mental health, and chronic illness outcomes. Individuals with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity face worse outcomes during heatwaves.”
Reflecting on global history, Dr. Lahariya recalled, “Europe only began taking heatwaves seriously after 70,000 deaths during the 2003 heatwave.” With 2024 marking the first time global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, he warned: “We cannot merely treat the symptoms. We must go to the root—across ministries, across sectors.”
Some of the key takeaways included:
–Localised Forecasting: IMD now issues district-specific forecasts for Delhi’s seven districts, enabling targeted action.
–Infrastructure Overhaul: Governments must invest in reflective roofing, shaded public areas, and uninterrupted electricity.
–Community Engagement: Awareness campaigns must be hyperlocal, multilingual, and focused on low-income populations.
–Early Action: Heat Action Plans should be activated by early March, not April.
–Inter-sectoral Coordination: Success lies in multi-agency cooperation, from urban planners to public health departments.
As Delhi’s summer turns more lethal each year, experts at the ETHealthworld webinar made it clear: this is a climate-induced public health emergency—one that requires urgent, equitable, and coordinated action.
Watch Full Webinar Here– Burning Point: Unpacking Delhi’s Deadly Heatwave and Public Health Emergency
