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India to launch heat wave programs in 2 vulnerable cities India to launch heat wave programs in vulnerable cities
(about 2 hours later)
NEW DELHI — India is launching programs to protect people from extreme heat in two high-risk cities, after a devastating heat wave killed at least 2,500 people across the country last year. NEW DELHI — Indian officials are launching a program to protect people from extreme heat in two high-risk regions, after a devastating heat wave killed at least 2,500 people across the country last year.
Already, India experiences severe heat waves almost every year. With climate change bringing ever-rising temperatures, the country and its 1.25 billion people are bracing for even more challenging temperatures that dry up forests, destroy entire crops, wipe out farm animals and kill hundreds if not thousands of people who aren’t prepared. Already, India experiences severe heat waves almost every year. With climate change bringing higher temperatures, the country and its 1.25 billion people are bracing for even more challenging summers that will dry up forests, destroy crops, wipe out farm animals and kill hundreds if not thousands of people if they are not prepared.
The program will be launched over the next week in the eastern city of Bhubaneshwar and the western temple town of Nagpur, where temperatures hit a sweltering 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit) last May, according to the New York-based National Resources Defense Council, or NRDC, which helped the government devise the program. “India is getting hotter, and it is killing people,” said Anjali Jaiswal, India director for the New York-based National Resources Defense Council, which is helping local leaders and officials adopt the program.
By introducing seven-day weather forecasts, extra water supplies, cool-air shelters and afternoon breaks for workers, India hopes to avoid the high death tolls from heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and dehydration. Many of those killed across the country, including more than 1,700 in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, were day-wage laborers and farmers so poor they said they could not take a day off despite the heat. It will be launched over the next week in Bhubaneshwar and three other cities in the eastern state of Orissa, as well as in the western temple town of Nagpur and four nearby cities where temperatures last year hit a sweltering 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit), the NDRC said Wednesday.
“We can take smart steps right now to shield millions of people from killer heat waves,” said Anjali Jaiswal, the NRDC’s India director. “It’s clearly feasible and cost-effective to create similar heat preparedness plans across Indian cities and states.” It was rolled out in Ahmadabad in 2013, three years after some 1,200 people died from heat-related causes in the western city. Last year, after introducing seven-day weather forecasts, extra water supplies and cool-air shelters, only 20 people died in the city from the heat.
But altogether, the cities involved cover only about 11 million people — not even 1 percent of the country’s population.
“If you want to save lives you have to be prepared,” Jaiswal said, calling on other Indian cities and regions to also adopt heat wave plans. “When it comes to protecting communities and people, it takes leadership.”
The cities involved in the program will now spend months preparing for summer by educating children about heat risk, stocking hospitals with ice packs and extra water, and training medical workers to identify heat stress, dehydration and heat stroke.
Many of those killed across the country last year, including more than 1,700 in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, were day laborers, construction workers and farmers so poor they could not take a day off despite the heat.
Cities also plan to offer extra water supplies, cool-air shelters and afternoon breaks for workers.
The Indian Meteorological Department has revamped the way it forecasts temperatures and how it reports those forecasts to the country, to help officials plan for extreme events.
India’s heat wave risk is exacerbated by its dwindling water resources, with increasingly erratic monsoon rains unable to deliver enough water to replenish heavily tapped rivers and plummeting groundwater reserves.India’s heat wave risk is exacerbated by its dwindling water resources, with increasingly erratic monsoon rains unable to deliver enough water to replenish heavily tapped rivers and plummeting groundwater reserves.
Experts have warned that by 2030, India will face an extreme water crisis. By that time, they say, the country will have only half the water supply necessary for agriculture, industry and people’s needs such as water for cooking, cleaning and drinking. Experts have warned that by 2030, India will face an extreme water crisis. By that time, they say, the country will have only half the water supply necessary for agriculture, industry and people’s needs.
The program was previously launched in Ahmadabad in 2013, three years after some 300 people died from heat-related causes in the western city. Last year, after introducing seven-day weather forecasts, extra water supplies and cool-air shelters, only 20 people died in the city from such causes. “The monsoon was low last year, so we are worried about water availability when the temperatures start to rise,” Jaiswal said.
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Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.