ISRO-monitored pilot project to control heatstroke deaths in 3 cities

After success in Gandhinagar, project to be rolled out in Rajkot, Nagpur and Jhansi

heat-wave-sun-high-temerature-climate-change-weather-shut Representational image | File

In an attempt to contain the rising number of deaths in the country due to heatstrokes, the central government has decided to initiate a project that would help monitor heat closely and even tackle it by way of innovative concepts, technology and change in policy. The project is set for its first roll out in Gujarat's Rajkot, Nagpur in Maharashtra and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh and is later expected to be extended across the country. 

The three cities are known for high death rates due to heatstroke. As per the project, changes would be brought in the city's infrastructure, including roads, high-rises and buildings.  The pilot project is the result of a collaboration between the Department of Science and Technology and the National Mission for Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change. According to the new project, ISRO will study the three cities closely through its satellite in order to understand the most heat-centric areas that must be focused on.

Alert systems would be installed across all departments of the respective city's municipal corporations with the aim of enhancing internal coordination. The systems will, in turn, be connected to weather control rooms. As the temperature is expected to rise in the coming days, the machinery in municipalities will have to be prepared to detect the rise in heat. 

If the heat gets unbearable, that is beyond a point, school timings will be changed accordingly. In addition, daily-wage labourers who spend most of their time working outdoors, would be asked to report to work at a later time in the day when the heat comes down. These are the suggested changes. Also, citizens of Nagpur, Rajkot and Jhansi will be encouraged to paint their buildings in white, as it has been found that the colour helps in bringing down the temperature by a substantial three to four degrees. 

Also, changes will be brought in the way cemented roads are constructed in the three cities, so as to ensure that there remains enough scope for drainage or groundwater seepage, so as to prevent water logging. Training will be provided to health workers in government and municipal hospitals as to the manner in which they must identify and treat a patient suffering from heat-related ailments and diseases. In addition, all state and municipal hospitals will be equipped with both skills and technology to handle cases of heat stroke in the cities. Care will be taken to ensure that there remains no discrepancy in the number of deaths reported due to growing heat wave in the city. 

The project will be implemented promptly after the Model Code of Conduct gets over, said Mahaveer Golchha, Chief Project Officer, Climate Change Project, Gandhinagar. Some officers from the municipal corporation's health department have been given training for the same. 

The project has been developed after the success story of a similar initiative in Gandhinagar. In May 2010, the temperature in Gandhinagar during summer had increased by almost one-and-a-half times the usual, leading to the sudden deaths of a large number of people. The Indian Institute of Public Health studied the situation and, along with the Gujarat government, put in place a number of measures. Now the same, and more are being implemented in Rajkot, Nagpur and Jhansi.

According to the project, awareness will also be made regarding the right food and drinks to be consumed in order to beat the heat.