Delhi Govt launches heat smart school pilot for students
With temperatures soaring during the summer months and posing grave danger to children, the Delhi Government on Wednesday unveiled a project, Heat Smart School Pilot, showcasing innovative and scalable measures to enhance resilience against extreme heat in educational institutions.
The District Administration, Central North District, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with GIZ India, hosted a high-level visit to the Heat Smart School Pilot at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, BT Block, Shalimar Bagh, to showcase the unique initiative.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta congratulated all departments and partner organisations associated with the ‘Heat Smart School’ pilot, saying that the safety and well-being of children is the Delhi Government’s top priority. She said innovative initiatives like this are the need of the hour in the face of changing climatic conditions and expressed confidence that the model would be expanded to more schools across the Capital, playing a significant role in creating safe and climate-resilient learning environments.
The Heat Smart School pilot has been developed under the Integrated Climate Risk Management in India (InCRIS) Project, implemented by GIZ India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, with ADRA India as the implementation partner. The visit was attended by NDMA - Dr. Krishna S Vatsa, Member Secretary and HoD, NDMA, District Administration - Shailendra Singh Parihar, District Magistrate (DM)Central North; German Embassy – Mr Johannes Schneider, Second Secretary, Economic Cooperation and Development Division, German Embassy, New Delhi; GIZ India – Dr. Rachna Arora, Director; ADRA India – Santhosh Srikant Pattar, Country Director, and Vikram Yadav, Principal, Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, along with senior officials from the Government of NCT of Delhi, GIZ India, ADRA India and other partner organizations.
During the visit, the delegation toured the school campus to observe a range of climate- responsive interventions, including cool roof intervention, shaded corridors and waiting areas, improved drinking water facilities, student-led awareness initiatives, heat safety information displays and interactive educational activities designed to reduce heat stress and promote safer learning environments for children. Speaking on the occasion, Shailendra Singh Parihar, District Magistrate, Central North District, emphasized the critical role of district administrations in advancing climate resilience at the grassroots.
“As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, strengthening resilience at the community level has become an imperative. Schools are among our most critical public institutions, and initiatives such as the Heat Smart School Pilot demonstrate how practical, affordable and locally appropriate interventions can significantly improve the safety, health and well-being of children. We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to promote and scale such models across educational institutions.”
