Released in 2019, Tamil Nadu’s Heat Wave Action Plan has hardly gained legs. And it cannot do with just a pair of legs, but dozens of them, millipede-like. Tackling heat wave, as also its effects, requires a diversity of measures.
A recent letter Pattali Makkal Katchi president Anbumani Ramadoss wrote to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin seeking that the plan be implemented, touched upon some of these measures — namely, raising greenery, protecting waterbodies, promoting construction of buildings high on ventilation, enhancing medical infrastructure and establishing rehabilitation centres for climate refugees.
Groups working on environmental health have also been seeking that the draft report prepared by the State Planning Commission — ‘Heat Mitigation Strategy in Tamil Nadu’ — be released and opened for public review and feedback.
A good heat action plan helps a state increase preparedness as well as lower the adverse impacts of extreme heat by outlining strategies and measures.
“The guidelines prepared for the State are inadequate. It talks about capacity building activities but does not spell out steps to be taken by every department. For example, as a labour officer what is an official’s responsibility in the event of a heat wave. You need to fix responsibility and duties on the person and that is what we are looking for in the revised guidelines,” says advocate M. Vetri Selvan of Poovulagin Nanbargal, a non-profit working on environmental issues.
Currently, the website of the Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management is not functional.
An official with the department says that it will be up soon. Based on forecast by India Meteorological Department, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority spreads awareness and sends out warning to the public.
Localised plan
“We currently have a state and district action plan and we are next working towards a more localised plan for corporations/municipalities,” says the official.
As per the official, the State Heat Action Plan has activities that must be undertaken by every department, most important being the role of Public Health Department, TANGEDCO and Sanitation.
“The Industries and Labour Department regulates the working hours and working conditions of employees. During a heatwave-like situation, workers should not be engaged from noon to 3 p.m. Their work hours must be rescheduled,” says the official.
According to a report in The Hindu in March 2024, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine asked all district health officers to develop a ‘heat action plan’ at the district-level and start heat-related illnesses (HRI) surveillance on the Integrated Health Information Platform under the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health.
