By Shiny Saha, Senior Programme Officer, International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC WASH), South Asia Hub, India

Heat level is increasing globally. As a strategy to address heat stress, in 2022, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) collaborated with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to work with select States to develop Heat Action Plans.

The Heat Action Plan is “a comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan for extreme heat events. The Plan presents immediate as well as longer-term actions to increase preparedness, information-sharing, and response coordination to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations.”[1]

Role of Water in Heat Management

Water has a critical role to play in heat management. Water is required for hydration and to cool off the body with baths. Thus, “household water security—affordable, reliable, safe, and acceptable water—is a prime avenue for heat adaptation….”[2] Further, waterbodies naturally manage heat by cooling and ventilating surrounding areas.

This paper attempts to understand how water is addressed in Heat Action Plans, with the help of an example.

Water in Heat Action Plan

Rajkot, the fourth largest city in the state of Gujarat, with a population of 1.28 million (Census 2011), developed a Heat Action Plan in 2024. The Heat Action Plan  mentions the need for access to water and sanitation services to reduce heat exposure. Especially for women and children, the plan highlights the loss of productivity, risk of heat exposure, and threat of abuse and violence faced in spending extended time to fetch water or access toilet facilities, in the absence of a household connection. The plan further identifies the locations facing water shortage in the city as heat hotspots.

Thus, as a preparatory step for a heatwave, the plan suggests setting up intermittent drinking water points. As a short- and medium-term mitigation strategy, it lists the provision of drinking water in open/public areas and construction sites. For slums and squatter settlements, it recommends the provision of water tankers on call during orange/red alert days. As a long-term mitigation strategy, the plan encourages investing in waterbodies. Further, as steps to minimise the impact of heatwaves, the plan recommends drinking water and taking cold water baths.

In terms of stakeholders, the plan mentions that the Municipal Corporation – the author and the implementor of the plan – needs to coordinate with Department of Water and Sanitation to provide drinking water in public places, and to make water and sanitation services available in slums and squatter settlements.

The importance of water is well noted in Rajkot’s Heat Action Plan. However, it appears to take household water security as a given. According to the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, the city is able to provide 90 MLD to 110 MLD of water compared to the 135 MLD demand. The demand is primarily met through the Narmada pipeline water from the Sardar Sarovar Project, while local reservoirs cater to only one-third of the city. The Narmada pipeline costs the Municipal Corporation (RMC) crores in electricity bills. As per a 2022 newspaper article, Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) had an outstanding water bill of INR 90 Crores since 2017.[3]

Located in an arid region with irregular and erratic monsoons, the city experiences water supply problems annually, in terms of both quality and quantity. The water woes are particularly severe for those living in the slums and squatter settlements. At the same time, the city is known to witness water wastage due to leakages. Further, wastewater generated by the city is not efficiently treated to be reused. Total sewage generated in the city is 190MLD against a treatment capacity of 95MLD as of 2015-16.[4] Untreated sewage is discharged into the Aji River; the Aji River basin is a network of 19 natural drainage courses, which are being used for sewage disposal. Neither is there a systematic approach followed to capture rain water, which has resulted in the city flooding.

Given that water is scarce and costs the city a fortune, the plan appears to be incomplete without suggesting ways or connecting the dots on how to make the city water secure. Without mentioning ways to increase access to water, mitigation actions like staying hydrated or cooling the body hold little meaning.

One of the low hanging fruits for the plan would have been to revive the existing water bodies in the city –as a means to secure drinking water as well as to naturally cool the city. The waterbodies in the city have historically been suffering from dumping of untreated and partially treated domestic sewage. There are not only insufficient checks to prevent dumping, but the city also lacks (as discussed above) efficient wastewater treatment. Further, with rapid urbanisation, there have been encroachments on the natural water channels, reducing their storage capacity. Further, as discussed above, Rajkot has been receiving more than usual rain in the last few years. However, the city lacks rainwater storage capacity.

Thus, as mitigation strategies, the plan could have prescribed:

• Prevention of water pollution
• Prevention of illegal encroachment on water bodies
• Investment in stormwater management
• Investment in wastewater treatment

The city of Bhubaneswar in its Integrated Heat and Cooling Action Plan[5] acknowledging the criticality of water in heat management, provides detailed steps on rejuvenation of water bodies and ensuring drinking water supply.

Other Plans

In 2018, the Climate Action Plan for the city of Rajkot was published. The Climate Action Plan, addressing all climate risks, including heat, floods, droughts, air pollution, and emissions, is broader and multi-sectoral in scope. Aimed at building climate resilience, it addresses ensuring water security and rejuvenating water bodies.

The purpose of climate action plans is to address environmental change while meeting other long-term goals such as socio-economic development and environmental protection. “(The) ….plans aim to help cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adopt low emission development trajectories, as well as adapt to the impacts of climate change and build local climate resilience, while aligning to the local development goals and plans.”[6]

Further, as a part of AMRUT 2.0, to promote circular economy of water, development of City Water Balance Plan (CWBP) was recommended, focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation. The aim of the CWBP is to “help cities to identify scope for projects focusing on universal coverage of functional water tap connections, water source conservation, rejuvenation of water bodies and wells, recycle/reuse of treated used water, and rainwater harvesting.”[7]

Given the multiplicity of plans, like the Heat Action Plan, Climate Action Plans and City Water Balance Plan, with close overlaps, a few questions become important to be asked:

• Is the existence of multiple plans for a single city a boon or a bane?
• Is it better to have a holistic plan that addresses all aspects of climate – heat, flood, drought, etc – holistically, or to have focused single-issue plans?
• Are there mechanisms in place to monitor development activities in the cities and their adherence to the plans?
• How binding are the plans on the city governments?
• Once the plans have been prepared, what next?

[1] Press Information Bureau, Government of India, “Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh says, NDMA and IMD are working with 23 States to develop Heat Action Plans,” 22 December 2022, available at https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1885718&reg=3&lang=2

[2] Why water security matters to cities under extreme heat in the Global North, PMC, available at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12819138/, accessed 11 June 2026.

[3] Times of India, “Consumption Up 45%, But City Has No Storage Plans,” The Times of India, Rajkot News, 29 March 2022, available at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/consumption-up-45-but-city-has-no-storage-plans/articleshow/90505856.cms

[4] Rajkot Municipal Corporation, Climate Resilient City Action Plan: Rajkot, July 2018, available at https://www.capacitiesindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CRCAP_Rajkot_July-2018.pdf

[5] International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST), Integrated Heat and Climate Action Plan for Bhubaneswar, August 2025, available at https://iforest.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IHCAP-Bhubaneswar_Report-for-upload-29082025.pdf

[6] National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Climate Action Plan, available at https://niua.in/c-cube/sites/all/themes/zap/pdf/climate-action-plan.pdf

[7] Press Information Bureau, Government of India, “Press Release Page,” 22 December 2022, available at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1885837&reg=48&lang=2

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.