Editorial: Scorching Summer

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) expects above-normal temperatures in most parts of the country during the March to May (MAM), the hot weather season. That’s not all. There are going to be above-normal heat waves too. Recently, IMD predicted heat wave conditions in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka in the south, Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal in the East, Gujarat and Maharashtra in the West. Chennai is at the receiving end of a heat wave-like condition. Extreme weather, including heat waves, is becoming a recurring problem which is being interpreted as a consequence of the climate crisis. February this year was the warmest month since 1901 and was preceded by one of the driest winters in recent times. Central and State governments have a problem on their hands.

Firstly, governments need to put together expert multidisciplinary teams to chalk out a preparedness strategy with the objective of preventing heat-related illnesses and avoidable deaths due to heat strokes. When it comes to heat stroke deaths, last year there was a huge gap between government data and estimates by experts. The Union Health Ministry put the number at 143 but the aggregate numbers of different states was over 200 deaths. According to a paper by an Indian non-profit organization, the deaths were as high as over 700. During March-June 2024, 37 Indian cities’ temperatures soared to over 45 degrees Celsius and over 40,000 heat stroke cases were reported. Whether by design or otherwise, the government tends to underreport the impact of heat strokes. Instead of developing a mechanism to count the deaths, India tends to rely on estimations. Former WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that the Indian government was “most likely” undercounting heat-related deaths. So, the first priority should be to have a more reliable and effective surveillance and data collection as accurate data is critical for policy and preventive measures.

Secondly, governments need to procure and supply first aid kits, which include Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) sachets, essential medicines, IV fluids, and icepacks, to healthcare field staff such as Asha workers, Anganwadi workers and other paramedical workers. Last year, the Centre instructed Health departments to ensure that health facilities are equipped to do rapid assessments and give rapid cooling treatment to those suffering from severe heat-related illnesses. Tamil Nadu, followed by Kerala, has over 1,000 hospitals with dedicated beds and equipped to provide relief to those suffering from heat-related illnesses.

Experts have been advocating for medium- to long-term heat mitigation initiatives to address the root cause of the problem. “With nearly 74% of Tamil Nadu’s population currently exposed to air temperature above 35°C, there is an urgent need to build heat resilience in the state as climate change-driven heat is only expected to intensify,” says the 2024 Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission study on heat mitigation strategy. As socio-economically disadvantaged sections of the society suffer disproportionately more due to “energy poverty” (inadequate access to energy for cooling services) and “heat poverty” (increased vulnerability due to heat waves) special efforts need to be made by the government to protect them from the ravages of a scorching summer. Targeted interventions need to focus on providing water, and shelter for people who work outdoors (like gig workers, small hawkers and vendors, construction workers, etc) and educate the workers and their employers about the dangers of heat waves and basic heat mitigation efforts that prevent heat strokes.