About Us

Over the past decade, India has witnessed a sharp rise in the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves. From record-breaking summer temperatures in 2022 to prolonged heat stress across 2025 and 2026, extreme heat is no longer an occasional emergency — it is a recurring reality reshaping daily life for millions.

While Heat Action Plans (HAPs) and public advisories have expanded to over 130 cities and districts, implementation remains uneven and heavily reliant on short-term measures like water kiosks and awareness campaigns. Cooling centres — air-conditioned or otherwise cooled public spaces such as community halls, libraries, bus stations, and temples — have emerged as a critical, life-saving intervention for vulnerable populations including outdoor workers, street vendors, rickshaw pullers, migrant workers, and the elderly.

Yet despite their growing importance, public information on cooling centres remains scarce. There is no centralized, accessible database documenting where these centres exist, what amenities they offer (water, toilets, fans, AC, other cooling infrastructure), or how they operate. This gap makes it difficult for workers, residents, nonprofits, and local governments to locate relief during heat emergencies or plan for long-term cooling infrastructure.

From Community Call to Collaborative Mapping

In early 2026, HeatWatch issued a nationwide call for volunteers to help map cooling centres across India. The response was overwhelming — dozens of volunteers, researchers, and grassroots organizations contributed location data, photos, and on-ground verification.

Building on this momentum, HeatWatch partnered with Aniket Sakinala, who agreed to develop the technical infrastructure for this platform. Together, we built a volunteer-sourced database that maps cooling centre locations and documents their availability of essential amenities: drinking water, toilets, fans, air conditioning, and other cooling features.

This platform is a first attempt to bridge the information gap. It is an evolving, public-interest experiment designed to make cooling infrastructure visible and accessible — especially for those who need it most.

Why This Matters

Access to cooling is deeply unequal in India. While air-conditioner penetration in urban households remains low, hundreds of millions lack even basic cooling equipment like fans or refrigerators. For outdoor and informal workers — who make up 80% of India’s labour force — this “systemic cooling poverty” translates into direct health risks, lost wages, and difficult trade-offs between rest, hydration, and income.

Cooling centres offer a critical, low-cost adaptation strategy. But without knowing where they are, what they offer, or whether they are operational during heatwaves, their potential remains untapped.

This platform seeks to:

Make cooling infrastructure visible by mapping locations and amenities across India
Support heat emergency response by helping workers, residents, and nonprofits locate relief quickly
Inform policy and planning by highlighting gaps in cooling infrastructure and guiding investment priorities
Strengthen collaboration by bringing together diverse actors — nonprofits, disaster relief organizations, municipal bodies, and community groups — around shared data and solutions

Who This Resource Is For

This platform is intended for:

Outdoor and informal workers seeking relief during extreme heat
Trade unions and worker collectives advocating for heat protection measures
Nonprofits and disaster relief organizations coordinating heat emergency response
Municipal bodies and local governments planning cooling infrastructure
Researchers and journalists documenting heat impacts and adaptation gaps
Fashion brands, manufacturers, and supply chain stakeholders understanding heat risks in production regions

Building the Database

We have also reached out to other nonprofits and organizations working on disaster mitigation and relief to expand and verify the database. This collaborative approach ensures the platform grows in accuracy, coverage, and usefulness over time.

The platform is currently available in English and Hindi, with plans to expand to additional Indian languages to improve accessibility for workers and communities across regions.

The platform combines:

Volunteer-sourced location data collected through HeatWatch’s nationwide call
Verification and enrichment from partner nonprofits and organizations working on disaster mitigation and relief
Amenity-level detail on water, toilets, fans, AC, and other cooling features

Acknowledgments

We are deeply grateful to:

Aniket Sakinala, who developed the database and dashboard interface
Volunteers and contributors across India who shared location data and on-ground insights
Partner organizations working on disaster relief, heat adaptation, and worker rights who are helping expand and verify the database

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a complete picture of cooling centres in India?

No. This is a first attempt and the database is incomplete. Cooling centre information is scattered, and many centres — especially informal or temporary ones — are not publicly documented. We rely on volunteer contributions and partnerships to grow the database over time.

What data does the platform currently use?

The platform currently uses:

Volunteer-sourced location data collected through HeatWatch’s nationwide call
Amenity-level information (water, toilets, fans, AC, other cooling) verified by contributors
Data shared by partner nonprofits and organizations working on disaster mitigation and relief

Does this platform measure indoor temperatures or cooling capacity?

No. It maps the location and availability of amenities at cooling centres. It does not measure real-time indoor temperatures, occupancy, or operational status during heatwaves. Users should verify availability locally before visiting.

Why create this if the data is incomplete?

Because even partial information can save lives. During heat emergencies, knowing where the nearest cooling centre is — even if the list is incomplete — can help workers and vulnerable populations find relief. This platform is a starting point, designed to grow in coverage and accuracy through community contributions.

Is this a funded project?

This is a volunteer-driven, public-interest initiative. HeatWatch is a nonprofit organization focused on extreme heat and worker protection. We welcome support from donors, partners, and collaborators who share our vision of making cooling infrastructure visible and accessible.

What kinds of solutions are needed to address extreme heat and cooling gaps?

Solutions must span short-term relief and long-term infrastructure:

Immediate: Expand cooling centres, ensure water and shade access, adjust work hours, issue heat advisories
Medium-term: Invest in cool roofs, green cover, district cooling systems, and energy-efficient cooling technologies
Long-term: Integrate heat risk into urban planning, labour codes, building standards, and national cooling policy

Will the platform expand in the future?

Yes. We plan to:

Add more languages beyond Hindi
Expand coverage through partnerships with nonprofits, municipal bodies, and disaster relief organizations
Improve data verification and real-time updates
Integrate with Heat Action Plans and municipal heat emergency response systems

How can I contribute or report a cooling centre?

If you know of a cooling centre in your city or town, please write to us at heatwatchindia@gmail.com. We also welcome partnerships with organizations working on heat adaptation, disaster relief, and worker protection to expand and verify the database.

This platform is an evolving public-interest experiment. We invite feedback, corrections, and contributions to help make it more accurate, useful, and life-saving.