3,000 water coolers, early warning system: How Delhi plans to tame the heat

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Heat Action Plan 2025, unveiled on Monday, encompasses measures such as creating heatwave wards in hospitals, placing of 3,000 water coolers across the city, early warning system to alert people about heatwaves and eco-friendly bus stop shelters with green roofs. Footpaths will also have cooling shades to give pedestrians respite from the sun.
The plan, aimed at combating the effects of heatwaves, was launched by chief minister Rekha Gupta, who simultaneously launched three cool roof pilot projects in the city. The state govt directed healthcare facilities to establish dedicated units with ICU facilities and necessary medicine stocks specifically for patients affected by heatstroke.
To improve monitoring and analysis of health, the plan states that records should be kept of ward-wise heatstroke cases, cause of death and daily mortality rate as well as daily hospital admissions of heat-related cases. "Heatwave wards are being prepared in major hospitals in the city and they will be equipped with cooling facilities, ORS stocks and trained staff," CM said.
For schools, Delhi govt has said the class timings should be rescheduled to avoid peak heat, meaning schools can start early and close before noon.
Gupta said that over 1.4 million students in more than 5,500 schools across Delhi will be trained and made aware of disaster management and heatwave preparedness. The students will be encouraged to drink water through the ‘Water Bell' initiative.
Water minister Parvesh Verma added, "Water kiosks will be installed across Delhi, providing drinking water to four to five lakh people. This will help prevent people from getting dehydrated."
Elaborating on efforts being taken to provide accurate information about heatwaves to the public, CM said that information would be disseminated through mobile messages, media and web portals. She said the alerts would be issued in time in collaboration with the Meteorological Department and necessary actions will be taken in departments and neighbourhoods based on IMD's colour-coded heat alerts (green, yellow, orange, red, the last being dire).
Around 1,800 trained volunteers, called Aapda Mitra, will be deployed to assist as first responders during heat emergencies. While interacting with the volunteers, Gupta said that these volunteers were not just a team but a living symbol of govt's vigilance and spirit of service. "These disaster volunteers will serve as the frontline warriors in the heat action initiative," she said.
CM also virtually inaugurated three cool roof pilot projects at Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar and Delhi Secretariat. The number of such projects will be increased soon, Gupta said.
The plan includes establishing cooling facilities in areas with high population density, particularly near pavements and informal settlements.