Heatwave condition and Policy Responses

India entered yet another summer marked by recordbreaking temperatures with states already recording heat wave conditions. However, even as state governments announce increasingly ambitious interventions. Experts said that the gap between policy and implementation remains the country’s biggest climate governance challenge. This is especially concerning as India remains among the countries most vulnerable to heat stress. Heat exposure has led to the loss of 247 billion potential labour hours in 2024, marking a record high and a 124 per cent increase compared to 1990-1999 levels, according to the 2025 edition of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. In March 2026, there was an unusual rise in temperatures in states like Himachal Pradesh, underlining the growing intensity and unpredictability of extreme heat events. As the impacts of extreme heat intensify, Indian state governments are increasingly being pushed to move beyond short-term emergency responses. From Delhi’s graded heat alerts to Rajasthan’s cooling stations for informal workers, several states have institutionalised heat governance through Heat Action Plans (HAPs), disaster financing mechanisms, and urban cooling policies. According to the Union government, over 250 cities and districts across 23 heat-prone states have operational HAPs. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report extreme heat in India 2026, several Indian states are pioneering innovative heat resilience measures. Tamil Nadu has moved toward heat resilience by declaring heat waves a state-specific disaster, allowing the use of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) funds for relief and preparedness. The state has launched both state- and city-level HAPs alongside Urban Cooling Guidelines that promote cool roofs, passive cooling, urban greening, and climate-responsive planning. Its Urban Greening Policy mandates at least 15 per cent green cover in urban areas, while the “Green Schools” initiative has reduced classroom temperatures by 3-4°C occupied-hour classroom temperatures from 31°C down to 27°C through cool roof coatings. The state has also partnered with the UK government to establish a Heat Resilience Centre focused on technical support and coordination. Maharashtra’s HAP adopts a multisectoral approach combining early warning systems, public health preparedness, infrastructure adaptation, and water-energy security measures. The state has identified Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Khandesh as high-risk regions through vulnerability mapping. Amravati Municipal Corporation has introduced mandatory cool roof bylaws for large buildings to reduce indoor temperatures. Further strengthening its institutional framework, Maharashtra is also setting up a Centre of Excellence for Heat Resilience and Sustainable Cooling to strengthen longterm institutional capacity and coordination. Uttar Pradesh has expanded HAP coverage across most districts and introduced district-specific heat wave thresholds to improve the accuracy of heat alerts and anticipatory response. The state’s Urban Green Policy promotes climate-sensitive urban planning through Miyawaki forests, sponge parks, green roofs, and vertical gardens aimed at reducing urban heat island effects and improving cooling in cities.