MITIGATING THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT IN INDIAN CITIES

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs highlights multiple initiatives to mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect in Indian cities. The National Disaster Management Authority’s 2019 guidelines require vulnerable assessments and inclusion of mitigation measures in Heat Action Plans, which have been prepared by 23 states, 195 districts and 64 cities. Delhi’s revised State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC 2.0) identifies rising heat waves as a major vulnerability and proposes cool roofs, cooling corridors, expanded green infrastructure, wetland restoration and flood‑resilient infrastructure. The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) seeks to reduce cooling demand and improve energy efficiency. Under AMRUT/AMRUT 2.0, thousands of parks, water‑body projects, green‑mobility tracks and LED streetlights have been implemented, delivering energy savings and CO₂ reductions. The Scheme for Special Assistance to States (SSASCI) 2022‑2025 incentivises climate‑sustainable urban planning measures such as sponge‑city concepts and green‑blue infrastructure.