Staff Reporter
Nagpur
Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Maharashtra Public Health Department
have jointly organised a workshop to prepare ‘Heat Action Plan’ for
Nagpur city, on Friday and Saturday at Hotel Tuli Imperial, Ramdaspeth
here. Surprisingly, NMC is ‘clueless’ about either heat effect in the
city, factors contributing to rise in heat, and other related aspects.
Dr
Milind Ganvir, Deputy Director (Health), and Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, Deputy
Director Health Services, told the reporters in a press conference on
Thursday that the workshop was titled ‘Understanding Climate Change and
Heat for Developing Heat Action Plan for Nagpur City’. In 2013, the
first Heat Action Plan (HAP) in Asia was prepared in Ahmedabad
(Gujarat). Now, the experts from Indian Institute of Public Health
(IIPH) will be providing guidance for preparing HAP for Nagpur city.
Surprisingly,
NMC Health Department had only the statistics on heat stroke patients
in past 10 years. “No. We have not assessed or analysed the data
available with us,” said Dr Ganvir in reply to a question. Asked if NMC
had visited Ahmedabad or studied HAP for that city before organising the
workshop for Nagpur, he replied in negative. “The experts are coming
here,” he said.
When his attention was drawn to study of Urban Heat
Island effect conducted locally, and also included in City Development
Plan-II, Dr Ganvir replied, “Urban Heat Island effect has no relation
with this issue.” Interestingly, Urban Heat Island is formed as an
impact of replacement of natural surfaces by built surfaces that are a
result of growing urbanisation. Replying to a question if NMC had ever
approached city-based National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute (NEERI) pertaining to study about carbon sequesteration in the
city and impact of climate change, Dr Ganvir again replied in negative.
Praveen Datke, Mayor, will inaugurate the workshop on Friday, while
all other dignitaries including Dayashankar Tiwari, Ruling Party
Leader; Ramesh Singare, Chairman of Standing Committee, and others will
be the guests. On Saturday, Principal Secretary of Public Health
Department will guide the participants.
The representatives of
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Medical Association,
Indian Association of Paediatrics etc will participate in various
sessions on heat and health, Ahmedabad experience, climate change,
hospital/mortality data, treatment of heat stroke patients, heat wave as
a disaster and inter-agency coordination, enhancing capacity of medical
professionals, urban health facilities, etc.
Year-wise heat-stroke statistics with NMC
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Year Patients Deaths
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2005 13 --
2006 10 --
2007 10 --
2008 13 --
2009 14 --
2010 16 --
2011 11 --
2012 24 02
2013 36 11
2014 28 05
2015 -- --
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Total 175 18
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(07-05-15)
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