Deaths rise and water is rationed as India faces record heat

In the eastern states of Bihar and Odisha, 24 people died on Thursday, including three election officials and a policeman who collapsed in the midday sun, the Times of India reported, citing state officials. In the desert state of Rajasthan, 55 heat-related deaths were reported in the past seven days. On Thursday evening, in just two hours, 103 patients complaining of heatstroke were admitted to Sadar Hospital in Aurangabad, surgeon RB Shrivastav told The Post over phone. Five were dead by morning.

The Indian Meteorological Department said the intense heat would gradually ease in Delhi and neighboring states from Saturday, but “pockets” of heat could persist.

Heat waves in India are attributed to a combination of short-term weather conditions and long-term warming trends fueled by human-caused climate change. Residents of India’s sprawling capital are often particularly affected, as the density of buildings, roads, cars and air conditioners contribute to urban heat, experts say.

Over the past week, climate experts have warned that grueling temperatures have not only tested the limits of human physiology, but also present other environmental dangers.

In the Himalayas, a forest near the town of Shimla caught fire this week. In cities, homes too: on Wednesday, the hottest day, Delhi firefighters received 183 calls related to fires, a record for the year, said fire chief Atul Garg. Other firefighters warned residents not to let air conditioners be overloaded and cause fires.

Apart from the demand for electricity, Delhi officials also warned that the city’s water supply had fallen to crisis levels due to rising consumption and reduced flow of the Yamuna River – a situation which reflects the water shortage faced by the southern megacity of Bangalore.

This week, Delhi authorities introduced a new fine of 2,000 rupees ($24) for wasting drinking water. In parts of the city that don’t have running water, tanker trucks delivering water will only arrive once a day instead of twice, city administrators announced, even as television channels this week broadcast images of people living in urban slums queuing for hours and collecting water. trucks.

At a press conference, Delhi’s water minister, who goes only by the name Atishi, scolded wealthy residents for washing their cars with hoses and urged all residents to cooperate during this time of crisis.

“I want to appeal to the people of Delhi,” she said. “Right now, Delhi is facing an emergency situation due to the heatwave.”