MUMBAI, April 22 -- Faced with a rapidly intensifying summer, the BMC is set to introduce heat-reflective paints for the roofs of its civic properties such as schools, fire stations, hospitals and dispensaries. Intended as a solution to urban heat stress, this was supposed to be a pilot project at G South ward but is now planned for citywide implementation. The cool reflective paint keeps terraces from absorbing heat, which cools the surface below and reduces the need for more cooling devices, an official explained. The environment and climate change department has also proposed to the garden department that gardens remain open in the afternoons to provide relief for Mumbaikars. The cooling paint measure was introduced as part of the recommendations from a 2025 report titled 'Implementation Pathways for Addressing Heat Risks in the Building Sector for Identified Heat Spots in Mumbai'. This report suggested clear guidelines and interventions for addressing heat risks in Mumbai as a follow-up action to the Mumbai Climate Action Plan. The report also proposed other measures, including using high-albedo or reflective materials for pavements and rooftops, integrating porous and permeable paving solutions, and expanding green cover. It recommended prioritising the installation of streetscapes that provide heat relief and shading, especially near markets and public transit stations where pedestrian traffic is higher, as also improve avenue footpaths with these interventions. Activists working in the informal sectors such as Shweta Damle from the Habitat and Livelihood Welfare Association, however, said the BMC could do much more to help the marginalised cope with heat stress on the ground. "They are not even keeping gardens open," she said. "Informal workers, for instance, have to wait under the harsh sun at the labour nakas. The BMC could have provided cool shades for these. It should also provide pyaus or water fountains, and take up sprinkling roads with water to reduce pollution and temperatures. The BMC's healthcare centres should also provide electrolyte powders free of cost to people." While activists claim that the BMC's measures are not enough, officials in the know point out various practical hurdles in implementing the heat action plans. "We have already recommended to the garden department to keep gardens open in the afternoon to provide relief under the trees during hot afternoons," said an official. "But it's for them to implement." The official pointed out that another recommendation in the 2025 report-green shades over street junctions-had practical difficulties so it was never taken up. "For example, the neighbouring city of Thane implemented green nets on a few streets last summer," she said. "However, those nets proved risky, with motorists fearing they would collapse, so that idea was abandoned and not replicated in Mumbai." Officials also pointed out that the Aapla Dawakhanas, Mumbai's primary healthcare networks, had been identified as heat relief centres where people could go to combat heat stress. "Most of these dawakhanas are air-conditioned and can provide relief for those who suffer heat stroke," said an official. "They have also been asked to monitor cases of heat stress."...