India is in the grip of an unprecedented heat wave, with many parts of the country reeling under high temperatures. Fifty of the world’s 50 hottest cities were reported to be in the country two days ago, and the wave is still sweeping across much of the country, especially in the north, central, and eastern regions. Temperatures have soared above 45 degrees Celsius in many places. It has even touched 48 degrees. More than half of the hottest cities are in Uttar Pradesh. The summer has been longer this year, with the hot conditions setting in early. The high heat has implications for individual health, livelihood, and the economy. Many deaths and hundreds of heatstroke cases have been reported. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), India’s average night-time temperatures are rising by around 0.21 degrees per decade.

Farmers have started working at night in some areas. Schools have changed their vacation schedules, and some offices and factories have changed their timings. Along with farmers, labourers, construction workers, street vendors, delivery agents, and others who have to work or move in the open have been badly affected. The poor are the most vulnerable, because shortage of water, lack of electricity, inadequate housing and shelter, and difficult living conditions accentuate the impact of heat. Animals, birds, plants, and trees suffer even more than humans. The World Bank had said in 2022 that about three-fourths of India’s labour force worked in heat-exposed sectors, and the country may account for nearly half of the world’s projected job losses caused by heat stress. The economic impact will be high. It had warned that heat waves can cost the country about 4.5% of its GDP by 2030. There are also warnings that the heat wave and a below-par monsoon can, by themselves, contribute to inflation in a major way.

It is not India’s geographical position or any special climatic situation that has made the country the world’s heat capital. Denudation of forests, destruction of vegetation in cities and towns, and degradation of lakes and other water bodies have contributed significantly to the change in climatic and weather conditions. The forces of climate change have added to it. The localised weather prediction system is still inadequate. India has not developed effective heat action programmes for regions, states, and smaller areas. The programmes that exist are disaster relief plans for emergency response and not long-term plans that address the root causes of the worsening heat wave conditions. Heat waves are not just about temperature. They are about the environment and the relation between human lives and nature. (Source: DH)