Relevance: GS-1 (Geography & Urbanization) & GS-3 (Environment, Disaster Management, & Economy) |Source: The Hindu

1. What is the Core Issue?

Delhi is no longer just hot during the day; it actively traps heat, staying dangerously hot throughout the night.

• The Problem: Rapid, unplanned construction and the loss of green cover have amplified the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The capital has essentially turned into a concrete “heat re-trap.”

2. Why is Delhi Boiling at Night? (The Science)

For an administrator, understanding the structural flaws of the city is crucial:

• Low Albedo (Low Reflection): Delhi is built on concrete, asphalt, and steel. These materials have a “low albedo”—meaning they absorb massive amounts of the sun’s heat during the day and slowly leak it out at night.
• The Structural Trap: High-density, clustered buildings block natural winds. Traditional cooling designs (like central courtyards and wind channels) have disappeared.
• The AC Feedback Loop: Modern corporate buildings (especially in Gurgaon and Noida) use glass facades that act like greenhouses. This forces massive Air Conditioner (AC) usage. While ACs cool the office inside, they constantly pump hot exhaust air outside, raising neighborhood temperatures by 1-2°C.

3. The Human and Economic Cost

Extreme heat is not just a weather problem; it is a macroeconomic and public health emergency.

• Loss of Productivity: For every 1°C rise above comfortable levels, human work efficiency drops by 2-3%. Nationally, heat-related productivity loss costs India over $100 billion annually.
• Grid Strain: The massive reliance on ACs pushed Delhi’s electricity demand past 8,000 MW, risking severe power blackouts.
• Ecological Death: By filling up wetlands and cutting trees, the city has lost its natural evapotranspiration ability—nature’s built-in mechanism to cool the air using moisture.

4. The Way Forward (Administrative Action)

Solving this requires structural changes to how Indian megacities are built:

• Smart Architecture: Make “Cool Roofs” (painting roofs white to reflect sunlight) and proper thermal insulation mandatory for all new buildings.
• Ventilation Corridors: City master plans must map out and protect open wind channels to allow hot air to escape the city.
• Revive Blue-Green Infrastructure: Urban forests and lakes (blue infrastructure) must be treated as essential city utilities, not just decorations.
• Protecting the Vulnerable: We must build accessible community cooling centers for daily-wage laborers, delivery workers, and slum dwellers who cannot afford ACs.

UPSC Value Box

• ICAP (India Cooling Action Plan): India is one of the first countries to launch this. It aims to reduce the national cooling demand by 20% to 25% by 2037-38.
• NDMA Heat Action Plans: Mandatory guidelines for states to create early warning systems, adjust school/work hours, and prepare hospitals during heatwaves.
• ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code): Rules created by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to stop the construction of energy-guzzling, glass-heavy commercial buildings.
• AMRUT 2.0: A national scheme that provides funds to revive urban water bodies, which directly fights the UHI effect.

Q.4. With reference to urban heat mitigation and India’s policy frameworks, consider the following statements:

1. Surfaces with a high albedo absorb more solar radiation, thereby increasing the Urban Heat Island effect.
2. The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) aims to reduce the cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38.
3. The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) is formulated by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (b)