Despite ESR concerns, NMC in no mood to implement HAP this year
   Date :03-Apr-2021

Despite ESR concerns, NMC 
 
 
By Kaushik Bhattacharya
THOUGH CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute’s (CSIR-NEERI) Environment Status Report 2019-20 of Nagpur city stated that average temperature and instances of heatwaves in Nagpur have been on a constant rise since last two decades, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is not in a mood to implement the mitigation measures of Heat Action Plan (HAP) this year.
 
The ESR of the city clearly mentioned that proper mitigation measures and plans were needed to reduce the effect of climate change in Nagpur. But NMC is yet to act on implementing the HAP.
 
To counter the deadly heat, cities and regions across India are taking strong action to build resilience, better prepare and protect communities. Nagpur was the first city in Maharashtra that prepared and worked on HAP in 2016. According to the ESR, the overall number of heat days and nights for 2010-2019 decade saw an increase of 9.3% in comparison to the 1970-1979 decade. Urban development, reduction of city’s green cover, vehicular and industrial pollution are the main reason behind the impact of climate change in the city.
 
Lockdown restrictions reduced the movement of citizens which is the main reason behind not implementation of HAP in city. According to NMC officials, since gardens are closed, public movement is minimal on city roads during summer, the civic body is concentrating on improving the COVID-19 situation instead of working on HAP.
 
NMC had updated its HAP in 2019 from the original plan developed in 2016, along with five neighbouring districts. As per the new HAP-2019, slum-dwellers, street-dwellers, labourers and rickshaw-pullers come under the most vulnerable group as they come directly under heat on regular basis. The lockdown affected bread and butter of this group but they are still most vulnerable as far as summer heat is concerned.
 
For 2020, the Maharashtra’s mitigation and response measures were focused on the Vidarbha, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada, in addition to existing HAPs in the Nagpur region.
 
The HAP consists of heat mitigation measures in accordance with the guidelines issued by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Prior to the 2020 heat season, two out of seven municipal corporations in Maharashtra, Nagpur and Chandrapur, have implemented the mandatory HAP, even as the country has recorded a spike in heatwave incidents. The CSIR-NEERI’s Environment Status Report recommended to implement the HAP in the city which is essential for every year without fail.