8 | New Scientist | 14 May 2022
INDIA is reeling from a fresh
heatwave that began on 7 May.
It follows weeks of extreme heat
throughout much of the north
of the country in March and April
that saw temperatures reach
more than 46°C and approach
49°C in neighbouring Pakistan.
“This kind of heat is not
unknown in north India during
the summer before the monsoon,”
says Ulka Kelkar, director of the
World Resources Institute’s
climate programme in India.
“The difference this time is that
it has come earlier than expected,
when agricultural operations or
even schools are in full swing,
so more people get exposed and
may not be prepared.”
The monsoon that typically
slakes the extreme heat of
summer is still weeks away.
On 5 May, India’s prime minister,
Narendra Modi, urged states and
federal territories to prepare new
heat action plans in the face of
extreme temperatures.
Every year, temperatures in
the region soar to the mid to
high 40s, usually in the months
of May and June. In some parts
of Pakistan, they can touch 50°C.
Above 40°C, the human body is
at risk of muscle cramps, swelling,
exhaustion, dizziness and
fainting, and heatstroke.
Hemraj, a gardener at the
Shiv Nadar University campus
in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh,
near Delhi, is used to preparing
for a heatwave every summer. But
“summer came early this year”,
he says. Hemraj has been working
since the late 1990s and seen the
summers get hotter and longer
over the decades.
At 2pm, close to the hottest part
of the day, Hemraj is still outdoors,working. “I don’t feel the heat or
the cold,” he says. “I focus on my
work instead.” A few minutes later,
he talks about how leaves burn in
the sun and how he can feel the
heat of the ground through his
shoes. He drinks lots of water,
keeps his head covered and takesbreaks to beat the heat. “People
who sit in air-conditioned rooms
can’t imagine being outside in this
heat, but we are used to it,” he says.
Rani, who runs an ironing
service in a south Delhi residential
neighbourhood, works from an
open shelter made of a tarpaulin
sheet and uses a traditional hot-
coal iron. She is her own boss andcan choose not to work on
extremely hot days, but that
means a day without wages. The
situation is similar for Hussain,
a garbage collector in Delhi who
goes from house to house daily
in his cycle-cart, picking up
household rubbish. His contract
means he only gets paid on the
days that he works.
India is expected to experience
hotter and longer heatwaves as a
result of climate change. This will
see more people having to work
in dangerously hot conditions. A
2020 study looking at heat stress
and associated work performance
predicts a productivity decline of
30 to 40 per cent across India by
the end of the century (Scientific
Reports, doi.org/htcr). “[This
poses] great challenges to the
country policy makers to design
the safety mechanisms and toprotect people working under
continuous extreme hot weather
conditions,” the authors write.
At the moment, a heatwave in
India is generally declared when
temperatures reach a certain level
above the 30-year average. For
example, existing heat action
plans for Indian cities are usually
triggered when it becomes hotter
than 40°C, says Kelkar. “However,
the focus [should be] to reach the
people ahead of the heatwave
actually starting, and to reach
people at a very local level.”Time to plan
Taking action as temperatures rise
isn’t enough, says Kelkar. Instead,
long-term action plans are needed
to prepare communities in South
Asia for climate extremes, she
says. This needs to start with
awareness at community level,
she says, and include information
on recognising the early signs of
heatstroke, as well as providing
access to medical attention,
shelters and water. In rural
regions, arrangements are needed
for livestock as well as people.
India must also look at the way
it builds cities and infrastructure.
“We’re [creating] heat islands as a
result of the materials being used
and the way we are building,” says
Kelkar, which is at the expense
of green cover and water bodies.
Policies for green building design
are urgently needed and must be
enforced, she says. Where cooling
is powered by electricity, it should
come from renewable sources.
Focusing on the big picture,
however, cannot be at the cost
of individuals. “It doesn’t matter
how hot it gets, I have to work,”
says Hussain. “I’m surviving
because of the kindness of
individuals, not because the
system or my employers help
me out in this heat.” ❚“ People in air-conditioned
rooms can’t imagine
being outside in this heat,
but we are used to it”Climate changeSA
NCHITKHANNA/HINDUS
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TOCKLife during India’s heatwave
Extreme spring temperatures show the need for long-term heat action
plans as India’s climate warms, reports Payal DharTemperatures reached
39°C in New Delhi, India,
on 2 MayNews