Pune News : PCMC discusses comprehensive heat action plan after stakeholder workshop
Pune News : PCMC discusses comprehensive heat action plan after stakeholder workshop
In a move to tackle the escalating challenges posed by rising temperatures and recurrent heatwaves, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) hosted a crucial stakeholder consultation meeting on Friday, December 22, to formulate PCMC’s ambitious Heat Action Plan.
The workshop was attended by Medical Officer of Health Dr. Laxman Gophane, Joint City Engineer Gyandev Jundhare, Sanjay Kulkarni, Joint Commissioner Chandrakant Indalkar, Deputy Commissioner Manoj Lonkar, Chief Security Officer Major Uday Jarande, Disaster Management Chief Omprakash Bahiwal, Special Officer Kiran Gaikwad, Executive Engineer Harwinder Singh Bansal, Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture’s (BNCA) associate professor Prajakta Kulkarni, Pune Knowledge Cluster Program Manager Ashwini Keskar, Surya Furnitech Director Vishwas Dixit, Vrinda Dixit, social activists Ganesh Shinde, Nilesh Karkare, and Vidya Kumbhar and representatives of various social organizations.
The participants played a vital role in consolidating data, validating findings, and shaping the core strategies to be implemented in the Heat Action Plan. The primary objective was to promote a unified understanding of the specific heat-related challenges faced by PCMC, aligning interventions with the community’s needs.
The preliminary assessment by Dr. B. N. College of Architecture’s (BNCA) Department of Environmental Architecture and Landscape Architecture which spearheaded the comprehensive initiative, revealed that around 33% of the population in the civic limits fall in vulnerable population mapping, 58% in medium vulnerable and 9% is the least vulnerable.
The BNCA employed a two-stage approach, wherein in Stage 1, the research team employed cutting-edge technology, including Land Surface Temperature (LST) maps and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps, to identify short-term solutions that directly address immediate concerns arising from elevated temperatures.
Building upon the insights gained in Stage 1, the project has seamlessly transitioned into Stage 2, characterized by an intricate micro-level analysis of the entire city area. This phase leveraged stakeholder consultations to refine the understanding of PCMC’s nuances and challenges related to heat stress. The collaborative effort ensured that the strategies devised were well-informed and intimately connected with the city’s unique dynamics. This micro-level analysis will be presented to the PCMC Commissioner Shri Shekhar Singh soon.
The workshop highlighted the instrumental role of stakeholders in shaping the success of this initiative. By bringing together representatives from various sectors, the Heat Action Plan aims to be comprehensive and responsive to the specific needs of PCMC. The collective knowledge shared during the workshop underscores the commitment to accuracy, effectiveness, and alignment with the city’s unique challenges.
With the successful completion of the stakeholder workshop, PCMC is now poised to launch its comprehensive Heat Action Plan. This plan, set to encompass both short-term and long-term strategies, is designed not only to address immediate concerns but also to fortify the community against future challenges posed by heat waves and climate change.
