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New Delhi, India – Construction worker Gujral Singh tears up as he voices his concerns about toiling in India’s searing heat this summer.
Tens of millions of Indians are struggling with a heatwave, with temperatures in some parts of the country at their highest in over 120 years.
“It is becoming unattainable for me to accomplish my job,” Singh, 47, a father of two, told Al Jazeera. “I could efficiently do the work the previous summer. I fainted a few times this summer. I don’t know how will I meet the end needs of my family.”
Pravesh, 32, a 32-year-old construction labourer, also echoed the comments, but noted that it’s not just older people who face the challenges of working outside under extreme heat.
“We are young and full of energy. We still take a moment to savor every half an hour. This is a change from the one hour we used. This summer is extraordinarily pinching us,” said Solanki.
Mrutyunjay Mhapatra (Director-General, India Meteorological Department) stated that April is the hottest month in 122 Years.
This year, the maximum temperatures have increased by 2-4 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 7.2 Fahrenheit). There has been no respite from the heat this May, IMD. .
‘Duration, intensity, and frequency’
Heatwaves – with temperatures ranging from 43°C to 46°C – are prevailing in 15 Indian states, including New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.
Surface land temperatures, meanwhile, have exceeded 60°C over some parts of northwest India, according to satellite Data.
“The extreme climate events are occurring due to climate instability. Climate instability is the cause of extremes such as heat, cold, flooding, drought, and others. Climate change will make this more common than ever before. The duration, intensity, and frequency will also rise in the future,” Akhilesh Gupta, head of the Climate Change Program at India’s Ministry of Science & Technology, told Al Jazeera.
Gupta stated that while global climate change is most responsible, local factors are contributing the unprecedented heat.
“We also have local issues like the high emissions in the big cities due to which a regional ‘heat island’ is created. Heat islands are areas of a city that are warmer than others. So, internationally global warming and locally heat islands are responsible for such heatwaves,” he added.
Heat-stressed
The threat to people’s health is increasingly dangerous in India.
“The heatwaves are fatal for public health and the economy. It also puts the ecosystem at risk,” said Avinash Chanchal, campaign manager at Greenpeace India.
“We have been witnessing an increased rate of hospitalisations also leading up to fatalities as a result of heatwaves. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable communities are facing the brunt of this crisis more than others.”
Chanchal stated that Chanchal believes the government must take action to assist the urban poor, outdoor workers and women, as well as senior citizens who are more vulnerable to extreme heat.
“Especially the state and city authorities must strengthen the public health system, coordinated with meteorological early warning systems to ensure timely medical advice to its citizens.”
The heatwave has severely impacted the agriculture sector in India, causing wheat crops to shrivel in states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, collectively called India’s food bowl.
“The high temperature this season did not allow the wheat to grow for a complete period,” said Tinku Yadav, 23, a farmer in Haryana.
“Earlier, the wheat would be harvested by the end of April or start of May, but during this season the wheat grains were harvested at the end of March and early April. My yield, which was nearly 22 to 24 quintals (2.2 to 2.4 tonnes) per acre last summer, has been reduced to just 16 to 18 quintals (1.6 to 1.8 tonnes).”
Pushed to the brink
India is one of the most “heat-stressed” nations in the world and the increasing temperatures will only make it worse for the workforce toiling outside.
According to a report by a, India lost 259 Billion hours of labor annually due to the effects of humid heat between 2001 and 2020. StudyDuke University.
“Because of its large population, India is in absolute terms expected to lose the equivalent of 34 million full-time jobs in 2030 as a result of heat stress,” reportedInternational Labour Organisation (ILO)
“Although most of the impact in India will be felt in the agricultural sector, more and more working hours are expected to be lost in the construction sector.”
Gardener Surajmal Singh, 53, has cycled to work and back home every day for the last 20 years – overall a 50km (20 mile) journey each day.
He said that it is too difficult to survive the summer heat. “In the last few years, the heat has increased too much. I have not stopped my bicycle between the heat and the finish. [the ride], but now I have to take a rest to drink water and cool off.”
Satendra Kumar (32), a food delivery worker, expressed concern for the future. “This is just the start of the summer and the heat feels like June or July… I don’t know what the coming months and years hold, but if the heat will be increasing like this it will create a major earning void for us.”
India will be severely affected if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t cut, warned the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its latest report Report. It described India as potentially the most “economically harmed” because of extreme weather events. Experts say that the current heatwave is also part and parcel of climate change.
“For the last many years, people have been experiencing it in the form of heatwaves. We have enough science to link such extreme weather events to climate change,” Avinash said.
G Ramesh (a retired director general, India Meteorological Department) is a weather scientist who has confirmed that global warming is the reason for recent events.
“Heatwaves are common, every summer India suffers from heatwaves, but this time it is earlier than usual. Global warming is the main reason. Global warming is accelerating climate change because we have already crossed 1.2°C of warming from the pre-industrial era,” he said.
The Earth is heating up and polar ice is melting. For example, sunlight in the Arctic was reflected back into space previously. The Arctic Sea now absorbs heat due to thinned ice.
“This is changing the whole circulation pattern, particularly waves coming from polar regions, which are likely to accelerate the warming and cooling seasonal patterns,” Ramesh told Al Jazeera.
“Wherever ice is melted in the non-oceanic Arctic region, below the ice methane will emit… Methane emissionsSolar heating is also being developed. Multiple things are taking place. Earth’s system is bound to respond to these global and local changes. This is why heatwaves are occurring earlier. We need to be ready to face them even more in the coming years.”
Avinash said adaptation plans must be developed now to deal with India’s weather extremes.
“Urban planning must take measures for vegetation plantations, including rooftop gardening and community nutritional gardens, increase green spaces, and conserve the water bodies,” he said.
“At the same time the government, corporations, and society need to prioritise transition in energy, agriculture, and other sectors to tackle climate change. Phasing out the burning fossil fuels – including energy and transportation systems – is the most practical and urgent solution governments need to implement to protect the public health and future generations.”
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