Kolkata, 5 more Bengal districts at 'high risk' for extreme heat, says study

KOLKATA: Kolkata is among six Bengal districts flagged as "high-risk" for extreme heat in a nationwide heat risk assessment by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). The report titled 'How Extreme Heat Is Impacting India: Assessing District-level Heat Risk' presents the first composite Heat Risk Index (HRI) for all 734 districts in India. Significantly, the six Bengal districts do not have a heat action plan to help citizens adapt to the problem.While Bengal is 15th among states on the HRI, indicating a moderate overall risk, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Purulia, East Midnapore and Bankura feature among the 417 districts in India under high and very high risk category.Unlike in the past, heat stress is not fading in the city with sunset, says the report. Very warm nights and rising humidity are reducing the body's ability to recover from daytime heat, posing serious health risks, especially for the elderly, children, outdoor workers, and people with chronic illnesses. "Heat stress is no longer a future threat - it's a present reality," said Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of CEEW. "We are entering an era of intense, prolonged heat and dangerously warm nights. It's time to overhaul our heat action strategies with district-specific solutions," he added.