Saptrishi Soni
India is no stranger to heat, but what was once considered a seasonal inconvenience is fast becoming a deadly crisis. The year 2024 marked a turning point in how the nation experiences summer. With over 554 heatwave days reported across several states and a record 181 heatwave days in North-West India alone, the scale and intensity of extreme temperatures have reached levels never seen before. In many regions, mercury levels have surged past 47°C, overwhelming public infrastructure and health systems.
This rapid escalation in temperature is not an isolated event. It is symptomatic of the larger climate emergency sweeping across the globe. Scientists have long warned that global warming will disproportionately impact countries in the Global South. India, home to more than 1.4 billion people, is already facing the brunt of this crisis. Rising heat is not only a matter of discomfort but a grave threat to public health, economic productivity, and social equity.
Hospitals in heatwave-hit states have reported a sharp rise in cases of heat stroke, dehydration, respiratory distress, and cardiac arrests. Children, the elderly, and outdoor laborers are most at risk. Cities like Delhi and Lucknow have become urban heat islands, where night-time temperatures remain abnormally high due to concrete sprawl and the loss of green cover. In slums and densely populated low-income neighborhoods, families live in tin-roofed structures that trap heat, turning homes into furnaces. The urban poor have no access to air conditioning or even basic cooling facilities, and for them, heatwaves are not just unbearable—they’re lethal.
The vulnerability of working-class communities cannot be overstated. Agricultural laborers, street vendors, construction workers, and sanitation staff must continue working outdoors even when the heat index crosses danger levels. The International Labour Organization estimates that India could lose up to 2.2 percent of total working hours annually due to heat stress, leading to a GDP loss of 2.8 percent. This is not just a public health concern—it’s a blow to national productivity.
Women, especially in rural and peri-urban areas, face a double burden. Responsible for collecting water and working in fields, they are exposed to prolonged heat without shelter. With water sources drying up and temperatures rising, the risks of heat-induced exhaustion, reproductive complications, and chronic dehydration are rising dramatically. Health services in these areas are ill-equipped to manage heat-related conditions, and access to emergency care remains limited.
Despite the mounting crisis, India does not yet categorize heatwaves as a national disaster. Doing so could unlock emergency relief mechanisms and direct funds toward protective infrastructure. However, a few Indian cities have begun to adapt. Ahmedabad, one of the first cities to adopt a Heat Action Plan in 2013, introduced early warning systems and community outreach programs. Surat has launched a ‘Cool Roof’ initiative that has successfully lowered indoor temperatures in informal settlements by up to 4°C. Bhubaneswar has installed hydration booths and temporary shading structures in crowded markets to reduce heat stress for vendors and daily wage earners. These local success stories show that with coordinated planning and investment, heat resilience is possible.
Internationally, heatwaves are now among the top climate-related causes of death. From Europe to the Middle East, and now across large swathes of Asia, extreme heat is pushing health systems to a breaking point. The World Health Organization has issued repeated warnings that climate-induced heatwaves could soon become the leading cause of preventable mortality. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also highlights that South Asia, with its high population density and socio-economic vulnerabilities, will remain a climate hotspot for decades to come.
India must recognize that the time for incremental adaptation has passed. What’s needed now is a full-fledged national strategy that includes heatwave alerts, green urban planning, mass access to cooling infrastructure, and a robust public health response. Government policies must integrate climate resilience across sectors, from energy to housing to labor regulations. Just as the Delhi-NCR region has a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat air pollution, the country needs a comprehensive and automated heatwave response mechanism backed by scientific data and forecasting tools.
The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat—it is unfolding here and now, with each passing summer deadlier than the last. If India is to protect its people, especially the most vulnerable, from the rising tide of heat, it must act urgently. Through innovation, equity-based planning, and strong governance, the country can still turn the tide on what is fast becoming one of its most defining challenges of the 21st century.
Inputs for this article have been taken from various web sources. This is also a web-generated news report.
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