India heat wave: Experts urge more can be done as death toll rises

A number of Indian cities can do more to prevent deaths and illnesses, experts said on Friday.

Until now, there have been at least 36 deaths as a result of this year's heat wave, during which temperatures have exceeded 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

Indeed, a scarcity of water has led to fighting in the streets, with a number of stabbings, injuries and even deaths.

Urban heat islands

The hot weather has turned cities into "urban heat islands," said Sayantan Sarkar, citing a lack of tree cover that was causing temperatures to soar on paved surfaces. Sarkar had helped implement India's first Heat Action Plan (HAP) in Ahmedabad in 2013.

"Cities bear the brunt of a heat wave because they are so densely populated and because the effects are more pronounced," he said.

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