NDMA prepares States to deal with Heat Wave 2017

The two-day national workshop on Preparation of Heat Wave Action Plan in Hyderabad ended on a high note today with all stakeholders resolving to work towards mitigating the adverse impact of the imminent heat wave this year. The workshop was organised by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the Government of Telangana.

Addressing the workshop, Shri R.K. Jain, Member, NDMA said the focus of all our efforts should be on reducing the number of deaths. We should work towards translating available data and research into specific actions to reduce the impact of heat waves, he added.

At the technical session on Effective Governance Tools for Increased Resilience to Heat Wave, the need to bring about some fundamental changes in our built environment to augment heat wave preparedness was underlined.

The session on Monitoring, Review and Updation of Heat Action Plan was chaired by Shri Kamal Kishore, Member, NDMA. The session discussed the importance of coordination amongst all agencies and regular monitoring of the heat wave situation. It highlighted the significance of reviewing and updating Heat Action Plans to suit the changes in an environment.

Discussing the need for spreading awareness on heat wave, its ill effects, symptoms and simple mitigation measures, Shri Jain emphasised on the need to extensively use IEC (Information, Education and Communication) campaigns to reach out to the masses, especially to weaker sections of society as they form the most vulnerable segment of population. He reiterated that efforts towards heat wave preparedness would mean something only if our collaborative efforts are able to save lives.

Dr. D.N. Sharma, Member, NDMA, underlined the need to fine-tune Heat Action Plans right up to the village level so that traditional knowledge and indigenous practices are integrated in their plans to enhance the efficacy of their mitigation measures.

Heat waves often lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, stress and even a fatal heat stroke. With advance planning and preparedness, heat wave induced deaths and illnesses can be brought down. In 2016, with NDMA’s �Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan – Prevention and Management of Heat-Wave’ and the pro-active approach of some of the most vulnerable States, the number of deaths in the country came down significantly.

Three technical sessions – Heat Wave Action Plan and Risk Reduction, Experience Sharing of Heat prone States and Implementations of Mitigation Measures and Early Warning and Forecasting of Heat Wave – were held on the first day of the workshop.

Senior officials from NDMA, experts on heat wave, early warning and forecasting agencies, State governments and research institutions participated in the workshop.