NEW DELHI: At least 74 people have died of heatstroke in just two Indian states, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, over the past 48 hours, Indian Express reported on Saturday.
According to the publication, 25 of those who died from heatstroke were members of the electoral staff who were carrying out their duties while the final phase of the elections in India took place.
Citing the meteorological department, the financial express It was reported that there is a prediction of heat wave in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, West Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Vidarbha, isolated areas of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.
It is pertinent to mention that India has so far not released nationwide figures on deaths attributed to the current heat wave.
Indian court requests declaration of emergency due to heat wave
An Indian court urged the government to declare a national emergency over the country's ongoing heat wave, saying hundreds of people had died during weeks of extreme weather.
India is enduring a devastating heat wave with temperatures in several cities exceeding 45°C (113°F).
The high court in the western state of Rajasthan, which has seen some of the hottest temperatures this week, said authorities had not taken adequate measures to protect the public from the heat.
“Due to extreme weather conditions in the form of a heat wave, hundreds of people have lost their lives this month,” the court said on Thursday.
“We don't have a planet B that we can move to… If we don't take strict action now, we will lose the opportunity to see our future generations flourish forever.”
The court ordered the state government to set up compensation funds for the next of kin of anyone who dies as a result of heat illness.
Relatives of heatstroke victims tell it AFP that the state's deteriorating public hospitals were struggling to cope with the influx of patients during the week.
“The air conditioning in the emergency room was not working on Thursday when dozens of patients were admitted,” said Naresh Kumar Singh from Gaya, one of the worst-affected districts in the state.
Another 14 people died Thursday of suspected heat stroke and dozens more were hospitalized in the nearby state of Odisha, the station reported. NDTV reported on Friday.
More frequent, more intense
India is no stranger to scorching summer temperatures, but years of scientific research has found that climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent and intense.
As temperatures in the capital, New Delhi, soared this week, energy use in the city of about 30 million people hit a record high on Wednesday.
Researchers say human-induced climate change has led to the devastating impact of heat in India and should be taken as a warning.
The world's most populous nation is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, but has committed to achieving a net-zero emissions economy by 2070, two decades later than most of the industrialized West.
For now, it relies overwhelmingly on coal for power generation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, seeking a third term in the election, says fossil fuel remains critical to meeting India's growing energy needs and lifting millions of people out of poverty.
