As Delhiites stare at rising mercury, CM Rekha Gupta's action plan to beat the heat—Water coolers, dedicated hospital facilities, cool roof tech, other key takeaways

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday unveiled her government’s “Heat Action Plan (HAP)" for the 2025 summer season, with steps aimed at protecting the public against scorching heat in the peak summer months. The action plan comes amid forecasts of a severe heatwave in the city in the coming summer season. Developed jointly by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the action plan details a number of state-, district and city-level measures aimed at tackling the severe impact of extreme heatwave conditions. 

“If Delhi is experiencing the most heat in India, then preparations should also be the most extensive here. We’ve had a detailed discussion about this in our Cabinet. We’ll install 3,000 water coolers, and cooling shelters should be available on roads. Footpaths should have shading structures,” said the CM. 

The launch of a full-fledged action plan comes days after the mercury crossed the 40 degrees Celsius mark in the national capital, with weather office IMD projecting a higher-than-normal period of heatwave-affected days this year.

Heat-related emergency response plan in Delhi

Here are key things to know about Delhi's Heat Action Plan:

• The maximum temperture in the country has been recorded in the national capital, at 52.9 degrees Celsius. This necessitates the UT to be fully prepared to tackle the worst of heat-related issues.

Water ATMs in Delhi for heatwave relief

• The Delhi government has announced the establishment of water ATMs on Public Works Department (PWD) roads at various locations across the city. This initiative will involve the setup of 3,000-4,000 water dispensers near official buildings including government schools. Around 4-5 lakh people will be able to use the facility.  
• The Union Territory government will set up animal shelters to ensure that stray cows are not using the roads. This is set to ease the flow of traffic and aid facilitate the public. 

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• The UT government will install 3,000 water coolers at public places including roads.

• The CM vowed to ensure that Delhittes will enjoy every season from the next year. 
• Major hospitals will have dedicated heatwave wards to treat heat-related illnesses. These wards will be equipped with trained medical staff. 
• Dedicated ambulances and kits will be deployed for transporting emergency cases related to heatstroke.
• Special structures will be installed along footpaths to provide shelter and shade for pedestrian relief. 

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• Booklets containing detailed safety guidelines will be distributed in schools to prepare students and staff in managing extreme heat.
• As many as 1,800 trained "disaster mitras" (trained community volunteers) will be deployed to assist as first responders during heat-related emergencies. A force of trained volunteers is already in place under the National Disaster Management Authority. 
• Heat alerts will be sent in accordance with real time data in coordination with the weather department.

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• A number of major sites will have cool roof technology units installed, including the Vivekananda terminal, Kashmere Gate ISBT and Delhi Secretariat.