25,000 suffer heatstroke, 61 dead: India reeling under heat

by June 17, 2024 Environment
Why have temperatures soared above 40 degrees? Whom does the heatwave affect the most? Watch this video, as we try to decode the heatwave in India.

India has been under the grip of a devastating heat wave for the past few months. Since April this year several parts of the country have seen abnormally high temperatures. For instance,  Bengaluru recorded a maximum temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius on a Sunday, the city’s hottest April day since 2016. The city and parts of Southwestern regions of the country have experienced relief with the arrival of monsoon.

workers drinking water
Representational image. Civic workers in the heat in Chennai. Pic: Padmaja Jayaraman

However, conditions appear to be dire in North, Central and Eastern India. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued multiple heatwave warnings since May in parts of North Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar and UP. This is considered one of the longest heatwaves that the country has experienced.

Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius have changed working patterns, shutdown schools and workplaces. Worse, 25,000 people have suffered from heatstroke and over 61 have lost their lives.

Why is this happening? Who is it affecting the most? And what do we do about the heat? We are going to try and answer all these questions in this three-part series.
In Part 1 of this video series, we explain what a heatwave is, why it’s happening and what the government is doing about it.

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About Bhanu Sridharan

Bhanu is a Senior Reporter at Citizen Matters, Bengaluru. She previously worked an independent journalist and primarily covered environmental issues. Her work has been published in Mongabay India, the Wire, Caravan and Citizen Matters. She is interested in issues of justice, equity, access to nature and how Bengaluru's growth impacts nature and people.
Read more by Bhanu Sridharan

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