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‘Hard to be homeless in this heat’: India’s brutal summer is here

Temperatures across the country begin to increase, potentially exposing millions to heat exhaustion or lethal heatstroke.

heat wave India
Mohammed Tabraiz, a garbage worker, cools himself off after working all day in the hot sun at a landfill site in New Delhi's Bhalswa neighbourhood. Last year, two of the city's three landfills, including Bhalswa, caught fire during a blazing heatwave. The decay of organic waste produces combustible methane gas leading to spontaneous combustion at high temperatures. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
By Afzal Sofi
Published On 18 May 2023

New Delhi, India- India has started experiencing what could be another extremely hot summer, similar to last year when the country saw a devastating heatwave that led to widespread human suffering and affected workplaces, informal workers, landless labourers, marginalised communities, agriculture, and the overall economy.

In April, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued heatwave warnings and predicted above-normal maximum temperatures for most of the country from April to June, as temperatures exceeded 45°C in parts of the country.

Temperatures have begun to rise again this week across the country, potentially exposing millions of people to heat exhaustion or lethal heatstroke.

India suffers from the most pronounced heat-related labour losses in the world, as a majority of the country’s 1.4 billion population works outside, often without protection.

“It is difficult to work in this oppressive heat. There is always a risk of being killed by it. We have reduced our working hours, which impacts our livelihood,” said Mohammed Tabraiz, a waste worker in New Delhi.

According to a study issued by the IMD, heatwaves killed 30 people in 2022, the fifth warmest year on record since 1901.

Earlier this year, in April, 13 people died of heatstroke after attending a government-sponsored event in the Indian state of Maharashtra, where they were exposed to the open sun for hours.

The recent increase in extreme heatwaves across the country also affects agriculture. Wheat output was badly harmed last year because the heatwave coincided with the developing stage of wheat.

“Crop failures have become common in recent years as a result of repeated intense heatwaves. From wheat to peas to ground nuts, the crop died standing in the fields, burnt by the intense dryness of the unending drought,” said Deva Kumari, a female farmer in Uttar Pradesh state’s Bundelkhand, an area battling drought and an acute water crisis due to extreme heat.

Experts say that successive heatwaves have made India vulnerable to displacements due to water stress, coastal and riverine erosion, continued crop failure and ecosystem loss.

“In India, the increasing extremity and intensity of climate disasters these past couple years, including floods, droughts, and heatwaves, provide just a hint of the climate chaos that is to come as our planet continues to heat up,” said Sandeep Chachra, executive director at ActionAid Association, a humanitarian organisation that also works on climate change-related issues.

According to a United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report of 2021, India is among the countries expected to be worst affected by the impacts of the climate crisis, and more intense heatwaves of longer duration and occurring at a higher frequency are projected across the country.

heat wave India
Prema Devi, 70, is from Uttar Pradesh state and has sold fruit on a hand cart since she moved to the Ber Sarai area of New Delhi with her son 20 years ago. She splashes water regularly on fruit to keep it fresh during the scorching heat. 'It is difficult to keep fruit from spoiling during a heat wave. We have to make limited purchases. We also lose many working hours during the day because we can't take the heat,' said Prema. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
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heat wave India
Homeless children cool off next to the only electric fan available to 15 families living under a flyover in the Moolchand Basti area of New Delhi. Their houses were demolished by authorities who alleged they stood on government land. 'It's hard to live as a homeless in this heat,' a child said. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
Manoj Kumar, a clay pot seller, puts a tap on a pot to be sold on the roadside in New Delhi's Azadpur area. In the summer, many people who cannot afford a refrigerator choose to use clay pots, which keep the water cool for a long time and add an aroma to it that helps to relieve thirst quickly. 'Every year, I make 2,000–3,000 pots of various sizes to sell in Delhi during the heatwave. Although demand for clay-made utensils has fallen significantly, many people continue to use them to store drinking water in the summer,' said Manoj. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
Watermelons are stored in huge quantities in cold storage so that they can be brought into city markets during heatwaves. The melons are commonly consumed during the summer to stay hydrated and maintain nutritional balance in case of excessive sweating. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
Women waste workers sort waste to take it for processing in the Seemapuri area of New Delhi. High temperatures produce more odour, and flies and microbes cause skin issues, making it difficult to work in the intense heat. 'We have no choice but to work in these conditions. During extreme heat, we work only in the morning, reducing our working hours and affecting our earnings,' they said. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
Deva Kumari is a female farmer from the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, which has been drought affected because of recurrent heatwaves and monsoon failures in the last several years. After numerous wheat crop failures, Deva last year shifted to vegetable and ground nut cultivation, which uses comparably less water and is less likely to be adversely affected by extreme heat. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
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heat wave India
A young boy repairs his bicycle near the Bhalswa landfill site on the outskirts of New Delhi. Most of the families working in garbage sorting live in shanties near the landfill, where it is difficult for them, especially children, to beat the heat due to lack of basic amenities such as electricity and water. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
Arthi, 17, is a homeless girl living with her family under a flyover in the Vijay Ghat area of New Delhi. With no other option, Arthi uses a hand fan to cool herself off. 'There is no privacy, no water, no electricity. Can you imagine life like this in this harsh heat?' she asked. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
A boy returns to his home after taking a bath to escape the heat at a public water facility in a slum at New Delhi's Seemapuri area. According to experts, some of the influences exacerbating heat-related vulnerabilities in the city include slum population concentration, lack of access to basic amenities, poor housing conditions and lack of immediate healthcare. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
On a sweltering day in a crowded market in the old quarters of the Indian capital, a street vendor tries to entice customers towards sharbat, a distinctive traditional drink produced by combining fruit juices and floral extracts with sugar, water and ice. In addition to packaged soft drinks, a variety of traditional drinks also make their way into Indian markets to quench people’s thirst. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
As heatwaves make life difficult for many, some can afford to buy or rent electric coolers, air conditioners and other cooling devices. During a heatwave, power usage jumps substantially across the country. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
On a scorching day, a motorcycle rider cools himself off at a lemonade stand on New Delhi's outskirts. During heatwaves, cold drink stands are a common sight on highways and other public places. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]
heat wave India
A vendor sells ice on his cycle cart in a busy food market near Old Delhi's Jama Masjid area. 'The demand for ice naturally increases during a heatwave, but as there is no facility for cold supply, I must rely on luck to sell it before it melts away,' he said. [Afzal Sofi/Al Jazeera]