The recent information associated with the summers in India is something to worry about. We’ve been talking about it, sure, but we aren’t doing enough about it – which raises more concerns than what already exist. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has released warning about a possible heatwave over a number of regions of the country during April- June.
Maharashtra has already been dealing with severe heatwave conditions, where-in districts have also seen 23 heatstroke cases. The worrisome part is, that there are more factors to the condition. IMD’s announcement arrives amidst India’s ongoing challenge to meet its electricity needs. Additionally, 10 to 20 days of heat waves have been predicted, contrasting with the typical occurrence of four to eight days in a standard year.
Given the current situation, people have been questioning the need for a heatwave action plan in place. In accordance with the heatwave action plan implemented last year, recommendations included adjusting work schedules for employees and laborers aged 50 and above who have underlying health conditions like hypertension and diabetes, and whose jobs require exposure to sunlight, heat, or fire.
These included jobs such as those of bus drivers and police constables, to prioritize cooler morning or evening shifts. Similarly, gardens should be open all day, offering shelter and water stations for individuals seeking respite from high temperatures. Climate change is usually not our favourite topic of discourse, but it’s one of those times where we need to bring attention to the subject.
Clearly, we need to care about this one issue, because the more we care – the more we usually do.
