Anushree Bhattacharya
India is no longer a stranger to the extreme heat from the past few years, but in previous years, the country has been facing a drastic rise in the intensity, frequency, and duration of heat waves, what was once a seasonal discomfort for the country is now becoming a public health emergency. With this accelerating change in climate we can clearly see the end of the globe very soon. India is emerging as one of the most affected countries to this extreme heat.
The summer of 2024 was already a wake-up call for everyone. The record says the deadliest and longest heat waves were seen in the last summer in India’s history. According to reports from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), over 700 approx deaths and 48,000 people came with the complications of heat stroke and heat-related cases all were reported between March to June 2024. This report screams the deep cracks in public health systems, urban planning, and environmental policies.
In 2024, parts of the country reported temperatures soaring past 52°C, surpassing previous records. Even the capital saw nearly 49°C, affecting transportation, energy supply, and the daily lives of millions. These temperatures were not just uncomfortable but they were dangerous. The car engines caught fire alone just by standing for too long under the sun and so on. And with each passing year, there is a new record that breaks the previous one.
Health Hazards on the Rise
Prolonged exposure to the extreme heat causes severe effects on human health. The most common conditions are; heat cramps, heat exhaustion, dehydration, and a heatstroke, when the body fails to regulate its temperature.
Some other symptoms were like dry skin, rapid pulse, nausea, vomiting and even unconsciousness. Most affected populations are the elderly people, young children, outdoor laborers, and people with any chronic diseases are most at risk.
Hospitals were reported overload of emergency cases during the peak summer months. The issue is that mostly heat-related mortality is unreported due to lack of awareness and misclassification.
Economic and Infrastructural Impact
The effects of scorching heat waves doesn’t limit till public health. It hits the economy also, particularly in agriculture, construction, and energy sectors. Farmers face less crop than earlier due to heat and water scarcity. Workers are getting ill by working in this extreme temperature, the consequences are not only about physical health risks but also income loss due to reduced working hours.
In urban areas, the electricity demand spikes due to increased use of air conditioning and cooling appliances in almost all households. In 2024, India’s faces overburden of power consumption leads to blackouts in several regions. The power is depend on the fossil-fuel energy to beat the heat that further makes a harsh change in climate that will be not-so-good for India.
The excessive heat effects in urban areas caused by the dense infrastructure and limited green spaces. It blocks the natural air from the trees in the cities and increases only pollution that makes the heat management worse than ever. We should make a strategy for heat management in urban islands.
Animal Suffering
The soaring temperature also leaves a devastating impact on animals, especially stray animals who have no shelter to hide from the furious sun or access to clean drinking water to quench their thirst. There are infinite cases of heatstroke, dehydration, and even death of the street dogs, birds, and cattle due to the heat.
Extreme heat also affects biodiversity. Rising temperature causes drying out of water bodies, damage vegetation, and disbalance the ecosystem.
Precautions We Can Take
To stabilize the health impacts for future heat waves everyone should contribute including individual, community, and government.
Precautions For Humans:
4Stay Hydrated: One must drink plenty of water even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks as they don’t hydrate your body.
4Wear Light Clothing: Try to wear light-colored, loose cotton clothes for your comfort and always cover your head with caps or scarves. Use an umbrella whenever going outside.
4Avoid Peak Hours: Avoid going outside between 12 PM and 4 PM if not necessary try to stay indoors or under some shelter, even if you have to go then try to take frequent breaks in the shade.
4Use Coolers, Fans, and Shade: Use traditional methods of cooling your body along with electric modes to reduce your body heat.
4Know the Symptoms: Always prepare for the symptoms of heat exhaustion. If you feel any of these, take medicine immediately or search for medical help.
For Community and Urban Spaces:
4Increase Tree Cover: Plant more trees and maintain green belts, especially in cities to reduce the urban heat island effect and get some shade and natural air for the living beings.
4Water Availability: The government should install water tanks and shaded shelters in public places for the needy people.
4Awareness Campaigns: Promote different precautions and safety rules and aware the audience about the signs of any medical emergency.
For Stray Animals:
4Keep Water Bowls Outside: Always keep small containers of water outside your house or workplace for the animals. Even a single bowl can save lives.
4Create Shade: You can create a small shade for animals in empty areas so that they can move whenever they feel heat.
4Report Cases: If you see any animal in pain kindly inform the local NGOs or animal welfare helplines or take them to the hospital for treatment.
4Feed Hydrating Foods: During this extreme heat, feed foods like watermelon, cucumber that can help animals to stay hydrated.
A Call to Action
India’s rising temperatures are not a distant threat anymore and they’re deadly. The previous year summer was just a glimpse of what the future could do to us if action is not taken timely. Educates people about their environment, future climatic conditions and the actions they take to save themselves along with the earth.
In this peak era of climate unpredictability, survival of an individual will not depend on how we adapt to the change but actually depends on how we are going to respond as a society, as a living creature of this planet.
(The writer is a master’s degree mass communication student at Central University of Jammu)
