India’s current approach to managing extreme heat is showing clear limitations, prompting calls for a more comprehensive national strategy to address rising temperatures and their health impacts. Over the past decade, the country’s response has largely relied on seasonal measures such as water distribution kiosks, public advisories, and shaded areas at bus stops. These efforts, overseen by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), have helped reduce some immediate risks but fall short of addressing the broader and growing challenge of heat exposure for millions of people.

The 16th Finance Commission has recommended that heatwaves be classified as a national disaster, a move that could unlock dedicated central funding and enhance preparedness. However, even the NDMA admits that existing heat action plans vary widely in quality and implementation, with many simply replicating measures developed elsewhere. Critics argue that such short-term interventions do not resolve the fundamental issue of prolonged indoor heat exposure, which is increasingly putting workers, commuters, and residents in conditions considered biologically unsustainable.

Experts advocate for a national cooling doctrine—a scalable, long-term framework that treats reliable access to safe indoor temperatures as a public health entitlement. This approach would begin by establishing mandatory minimum cooling standards for high-risk indoor workplaces such as factories, warehouses, commercial kitchens, call centres, and delivery hubs. Implementing such standards would require an effective inspection system to ensure compliance.

Technological solutions are seen as essential to this effort. Suggested measures include the widespread use of passive cooling materials, reflective roofing, and district cooling systems tailored to densely populated urban areas. Additionally, more affordable and energy-efficient air conditioning units designed to operate on India’s power grid constraints would be critical. The electricity grid in India, which often runs at about 60% of its capacity even under normal conditions, is a significant limiting factor for widespread mechanical cooling.

Importantly, specialists caution against importing cooling technologies developed for temperate, wealthier nations with dryer summers, noting that India’s heat tends to be wetter, longer, and more humid. This difference makes many Western cooling solutions less effective and less accessible for most Indians, especially considering the high energy costs involved.

While there is no immediate or simple fix, authorities and experts alike recognize that continuing to rely on annual heat action plans without addressing indoor temperature exposures is insufficient. A more ambitious, systemic approach is necessary to safeguard public health as India confronts increasingly severe and prolonged heat events.