Indian voters are battling sweltering conditions to take part in the world’s biggest election as a severe heat wave hits parts of the country and authorities forecast a hotter-than-normal summer for the South Asian nation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a heat wave will affect parts of south and east India until the end of the week, including four states that are voting on Friday.
And in Bihar, election officials have extended voting hours at some polling stations “in view (of the) prevailing heat wave.” Ray said the heat isn’t going to stop him from voting on Friday.
Climate politics India, the world’s most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, often experiences heat waves during the summer months of May and June.
But in recent years, they have arrived earlier and become more prolonged, with scientists linking some of these longer and more intense heat waves to the climate crisis.
In 2022, a heat wave that killed 90 people across India and Pakistan was made 30 times more likely because of climate change, the World Weather Attribution initiative found.
Last year successive heat waves hit India again, closing schools, damaging crops and putting pressure on energy supplies.
Neighboring Bangladesh is sweltering through a heat wave this week with prolonged temperatures above 40 C in many districts and no relief during record hot nights, according to climatologist Maximiliano Herrera.
While a severe heat wave is affecting parts of India and authorities predict a hotter-than-normal summer for the South Asian nation, voters are braving oppressive heat to participate in the world’s biggest election.
Up till the end of the week, a heat wave is predicted to impact portions of south and east India, including four states that have elections on Friday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
With temperatures predicted to reach over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places, 13 states and union territories, including parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka, are among those casting ballots in the second round of India’s massive elections.
This year’s above-normal temperatures are expected to cause stronger and longer heat waves in India, as the IMD warned last month. On Thursday, Baripada in the eastern state of Odisha recorded 43.6 C (110.4 F), while Khammam in the southern state of Telangana recorded 43.4 C (110.1 F).
The sixty-year-old farmer Gandhi Ray from the eastern state of Bihar said he will walk to a neighboring village to cast his ballot because he lives in a tiny hut in the forest.
According to the IMD, daily highs of over 41 C (105 F) are predicted for his hometown of Banka district through May 1.
“It’s crucial for me to cast my vote, but this heat is getting worse every day,” he said to CNN. “I work outside most of the time, so I’m used to it, but as I get older, it gets harder to handle. These days, my kids handle the majority of the work. “.
As thousands of people attend outdoor political rallies during campaigns that are characterized by high temperatures under the sweltering sun, there is cause for concern this election cycle. On Wednesday, the problem was brought to light when a legislator in the western state of Maharashtra passed out from heat exhaustion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting earlier this month to assess the nation’s preparedness for the hot season. The Election Commission, National Disaster Management Authority, and IMD formed a task force to reduce the impact of heat waves prior to polling days.
Guidelines for staying cool at polling places have been released by the Election Commission, which also advise against leaving kids or pets in parked cars and recommend drinking water and bringing an umbrella.
Additionally, polling station hours have been extended in Bihar “due to the current heat wave,” according to election officials. “.
Ray stated that he will vote on Friday despite the heat.
He declared, “Since this is our only right, I will vote naturally. Everyone should support the candidate they choose to represent them.”.
“It would be ideal if the election was held during a cooler period, but that won’t stop me from voting because I’ll still feel hot regardless. “.
The Election Commission stated that there are “no major concerns for heat waves” during Friday’s polling, despite the heat warnings, and that weather forecasts indicate “normal conditions” for the constituencies to vote in.
Climate policy.
May and June are the summer months when heat waves are most common in India, the country with the largest population in the world (1.44 billion). Scientists have connected some of these longer and more intense heat waves to the climate crisis, but in recent years, they have also become more frequent and arrive earlier.
The World Weather Attribution initiative found that climate change increased the likelihood of a heat wave that killed 90 people in 2022 by 30 times across India and Pakistan.
India was once again hit by consecutive heat waves last year, which caused crop damage, forced school closures, and increased demand on energy supplies. Temperatures in some areas of the nation reached as high as 47 C (116 F) in June alone, which resulted in at least 44 fatalities and hundreds of illnesses related to heat.
Studies show that in a country where more than half of the workforce works in agriculture, the human-caused climate crisis is already endangering millions of people and posing a threat to India’s development objectives. Climate specialists predict that by 2050, India will be one of the places where temperatures have surpassed thresholds for survival.
Though it is listed in the election manifestos of both the Indian National Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), observers claim that climate change has not been a prominent issue in this election.
“Although this tends to filter through as anxieties about livelihood and continued welfare support, rather than in a neatly defined area of politics labeled ‘climate’,” Aditya Valiathan Pillai, fellow and coordinator for adaptation and resilience at the Sustainable Futures Collaborative in New Delhi, stated in a recent op-ed for CNN that “climate impacts do shape voter demands.”.
It is evident in the requests made by farmers for loan forgiveness and irrigation systems following years of drought, by urban families for lower electricity costs to help with air conditioning costs, and in the cries for more comprehensive social welfare programs. “.
impact on the region.
This year’s extreme heat has already had an impact on the entire region, providing hundreds of millions of people living in climate-vulnerable areas with little relief from the intense heat and humidity.
Climatologist Maximiliano Herrera reports that neighboring Bangladesh is experiencing a heat wave this week, with many districts experiencing extended temperatures above 40 C and no respite during record-breaking hot nights. On Thursday, the national government issued a 72-hour “heat alert.”.
Southeast Asia is also experiencing extreme heatwaves; local media in Thailand has reported on dozens of heatstroke deaths; in the Philippines, hundreds of schools have been closed; and in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta “rice bowl,” rivers and rice fields have dried up due to droughts.
According to Save the Children, three provinces in Vietnam have been forced to declare a state of emergency due to the prolonged heat wave. This is because salt is seeping into fresh water sources, making it difficult for over 70,000 households to get drinking water.
