The Rising Heat: Why India must treat heatwaves as a public health emergency...........by Nandini Jolly
In India’s long and evolving battle with climate change, heatwaves have emerged as a silent but devastating adversary. Once considered a hazard confined to Rajasthan or parts of central India, heatwaves are now steadily expanding their reach—sweeping across Punjab, Haryana, and even the Himalayan foothills. They are intensifying in frequency, duration, and intensity. And yet, our public health systems remain dangerously underprepared.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature exceeds 40°C in the plains, with at least a 4.5°C deviation from the norm.
But these numbers fail to convey the lived experience of millions who suffer under these temperatures with little to no support—especially in rural and economically vulnerable communities.
Punjab’s Changing Climate Reality
Punjab, a state not traditionally associated with extreme summer heat, is now on the frontlines of this crisis. Rising temperatures in the region are no longer anomalies—they are becoming the new normal. The reasons are not difficult to trace: rapid urbanisation, the loss of green cover, a growing footprint of concrete, and the undeniable pressures of a changing global climate.
For Punjab’s agrarian population, the impacts are especially severe. Outdoor workers—farmers, daily-wagers, labourers—face direct exposure to dangerous temperatures. Crops suffer from heat stress, water becomes scarcer, and agricultural productivity declines. Yet the heat does not discriminate. It also claims its toll in urban slums, construction sites, and homes without ventilation.
A Health Crisis That Remains Invisible
Heatwaves are not just a climate phenomenon—they are a public health emergency. And they are hitting the most vulnerable the hardest.
Heat stroke, the most acute and often fatal outcome of prolonged exposure to high temperatures, continues to rise across India. For those without access to shade, clean water, or basic medical care, it can be a death sentence.
Dehydration and associated illnesses are becoming more common, especially in communities with limited access to drinking water. In overcrowded areas, lack of water also compromises hygiene, increasing the risk of secondary infections.
Mental health, too, takes a hit. Studies link prolonged heat exposure with higher levels of psychological distress, insomnia, aggression, and even suicide. These effects are intensified in marginalised communities where power outages, poor housing, and limited access to care are the norm.
The Disproportionate Impact on the Marginalised
While the entire population is at risk, certain groups bear the brunt:
The elderly, whose ability to regulate body temperature is reduced, often suffer in isolation with limited mobility or medical access.Children, particularly infants in low-income homes, are especially vulnerable to dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Low-income and informal workers, including migrant labourers, face both extreme exposure and lack of support. Many live in cramped quarters, work through the hottest hours, and remain excluded from formal healthcare and social protection systems.
What Needs to Change
India cannot afford to treat heatwaves as a seasonal inconvenience. We need urgent, systemic action:Early warning systems in regional languages must reach the last mile—through mobile alerts, community workers, and local radio.
Access to cooling shelters, water kiosks, and shaded public spaces should be a basic right in heat-prone areas. Healthcare systems must be equipped and trained to respond to heat-related illnesses.
Mental health services need to be integrated into primary care, especially during summer peaks.Urban planning must prioritise green cover, heat-resilient housing, and reflective roofing technologies.
The Way Forward
The World Health Organization has called for heat action plans, early warning systems, and targeted protection for the most vulnerable. In India, a few states have taken early steps, but we need these plans to be scaled, institutionalised, and resourced.
As a Fellow at the AirCare Centre, I’ve seen how community-driven action, combined with institutional support, can make a difference. But we need more: more partnerships, more preparedness, and more recognition that climate change is not a distant threat—it is here, and it is hurting us now.
If we are to protect lives, livelihoods, and the dignity of our most vulnerable citizens, we must start treating heatwaves not just as climate events, but as the urgent public health crisis they are.
May 25, 2025
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Nandini Jolly, Fellow at the AirCare Centre
nandnijolly@gmail.com
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