India heatwave: What it takes to move heat action plans from advisories to mandates

Large commercial complexes, textile shops, and jewellery showrooms blast cold air onto the high street in T. Nagar, Chennai, where the average summer temperature is over 35 °C.

Shoppers dart from one air-conditioned building to another. But these ACs also cause an urban heat-island effect, making it one of the top 20 most vulnerable spots exhibiting significantly higher temperatures than other areas in Chennai, according to Deena Hari Krishna, project manager, Auroville Consulting, a U.N.-backed centre advising on policies and sustainable practices.