India in for harsh climate this year due to global warming

Vijayawada: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member R K Jain underlined the need for proper implementation of 'heat wave action plan' in all States in the country to minimise the impact of heat waves on the people particularly those living in the urban areas in the summer.

He said temperatures reached the highest level in India in 2016 during the last 100 years due to global warming and hot weather conditions continued in 2017 also. He predicted similar harsh summer this year also in the country. 

R K Jain chaired the inaugural function of the two-day workshop on ‘Preparedness, Mitigation and Management of heat wave’ at a hotel here on Wednesday. The NDMA is conducting the workshop in which delegates from 17 States are participating.

India is one of the worst disaster-prone countries in the world with population of 1.32 billion and 31 per cent population are living in the urban areas of the country. 

He informed that World Meteorological Organisation has revealed that the global temperatures would rise further in future across the world and India had recorded the hottest year in 2016 since 1901.  

Jain said heat waves action plan was being implemented in Ahmedabad city and giving fruitful results.  He stressed upon the need for giving heat wave warning alerts to the people through the bulk messages on mobile phone and with the help of media.

He said efforts were on to develop a mobile phone app that would not only provide heat alerts but also help users identify via maps, heat shelters and drinking water availability along the highways.

M V Seshagiribabu, Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management, explained the heat wave action plan was being implemented in the State for the last two years. He said heat alerts are sent to the people two-days in advance in the State.

Dr Rajshree Kotharkar, Assistant Professor of Visveswarayya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, said urban slums are the heat wave prone areas because of high density of population and less scope for release of heat from the small homes.

She informed that temperatures were rising across the globe and added that on an average 2,000 deaths were recorded every day in France during the last summer. 

She said people should be educated how to cope up with the heat waves, heat related illness and underlined the need for hospital preparedness. 
Dr Dilip Mavlanker, expert from Gujarat, stressed upon the need for identification of heat wave and recording of casualties.

He suggested that the States may constitute district level committees with members not below the rank of assistant civil surgeon, tahsildar and Inspector of Police to enquire into the deaths caused due to heat strokes or heat waves for correct reporting. 

The delegates discussed various subjects related to hospital preparedness, data analysis and Do’s and Don’ts in heat wave conditions during the two-day national workshop. He said Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia are victims of global warming.