India’s poor struggle with record heat

Heat in the capital New Delhi has hit 45 degrees Celsius this year, making Tundre and his wife Lata, who work at the same construction site, sick and lose part of their income.

“It’s too hot in here, but if you don’t work, what will you eat? We sit idle for a few days every few days because we are tired and hot,” said Mr. Tundre.

“Because hot, sometimes I can’t go to work. I took several days off because I was sick from dehydration and had to receive fluids,” said Lata, standing in front of their makeshift tent in the slum near the construction site.

On the construction site, workers have to wrap torn towels around their heads to protect themselves from the sun while working. At the end of the working day, Tundre and his wife could hardly rest because their house was too hot after absorbing the heat all day.

For construction workers like Lata and her husband, life on the construction site in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, is already difficult. This year’s record heat wave made them even more suffocating.

Scientists link the early onset of a fierce summer to climate change. More than 1 billion people in India and neighboring Pakistan are at risk from extreme heat, according to Reuters.

India just experienced its hottest March in more than 100 years, and many other parts of the country suffered record-high temperatures in April.

In many places, including New Delhi, temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius. More than 20 people have died, suspected of being caused by heatstroke since the end of March. Electricity demand reached the highest level in many years.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on state governments to put in place measures to mitigate the impact of extreme heat.

Unlike some Middle Eastern countries, there is currently no law in India that prohibits outdoor activities when the temperature reaches a certain threshold.