Experts from Ahmedabad to guide ‘clueless’ NMC about Nagpur's Heat Action Plan


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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