An unprecedented heatwave hits India and Pakistan, causing power outages and water shortages for millions. In some regions the thermometers are approaching 50 °C.
The region has been suffering from rising temperatures for weeks. In March, thermometers in New Delhi read 40.1°C, the highest at this time of year since 1946. On Thursday (28th), 46 degrees were measured in the Indian capital, making life increasingly difficult for residents, especially for those who have to work outside.
“I drink more than 5 liters of water a day. It’s the only thing I can do,” said Mohammed, a 50yearold worker who carried huge chunks of metal on his shoulders in the middle of the day under the scorching sun. “I have to work for a living,” he sums up, remembering that he lives on the construction site. “I sleep here. At least we have a fan,” he tries to console himself.
Mohammed works in one of the most elegant districts of the capital, which is experiencing an acceleration in the construction sector. But the works have already started to suffer from the effects of high temperatures.
2 of 4 An excavator tries to contain the fire caused by heat in the Indian capital New Delhi — Photo: Adnan Abidi/REUTERS
An excavator tries to contain the fire caused by heat in the Indian capital New Delhi (Photo: Adnan Abidi/REUTERS)
“In the last few days, some workers have left because they have suffered greatly from the heat,” says foreman Mohammad Yasin. “Those who stayed have to stop several times a day to rest, delaying construction,” he says.
The heatwave comes in the middle of Ramadan, the traditional Muslim fast that ends this weekend. Those who respect the practice abstain from food from sunrise to sunset, making working conditions even more difficult. Islam is followed by over 200 million people in India.
A garbage dump burned in the north of the capital on Thursday, according to local authorities, the fire was caused by high temperatures. It took firefighters hours to bring the blaze under control, making the air quality in the metropolis even more unbreathable.
Three more fires broke out in less than a month at the capital’s largest landfill site, Ghazipur, a 65metretall dump. The city of more than 20 million people lacks modern infrastructure to handle the 12,000 tons of waste it produces every day.
3 out of 4 men break ice cubes to distribute among residents of Ahmedabad, India — Photo: Amit Dave/REUTERS
A man breaks an ice cube to distribute to residents of Ahmedabad, India Photo: Amit Dave/REUTERS
Heatwaves have killed more than 6,500 people in India since 2010. Scientists say they are becoming more frequent but also more severe due to climate change. “A heat like the one that hit India earlier this month has only been seen once every 50 years,” says Mariam Zachariah of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London.
Pakistan’s agriculture under threat
In Pakistan, temperatures are also 8 degrees above normal in some regions and reaching 48 degrees in certain areas, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Society.
The heat and lack of rain are hitting farmers directly who must manage water supplies in a country where agriculture, the basis of the economy, employs around 40% of the workforce. “The country’s public health and agriculture will face serious threats from this year’s extreme temperatures,” said Climate Minister Sherry Rehman.
4 out of 4 Pakistanis try to cool off in a lake on a hot day — Photo: Akhtar Soomro/REUTERS
Pakistanis try to cool off in a lake on a hot day — Photo: Akhtar Soomro/REUTERS
High temperatures also cause an explosion in power consumption. There have already been power outages lasting up to eight hours in several cities in Pakistan. Power plants are also slowly running out of coal to fuel their activities. According to Pakistani Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan, the electricity crisis is already affecting the whole country.
In Rajasthan in northwestern India and in the neighboring state of Gujarat, but also in Andhra Pradesh further south, power cuts were imposed in factories to reduce consumption. According to local media, large power plants are also facing coal shortages.