Heatwave conditions across large swathes of central and western India, and Odisha in the east, have set in several weeks early, even as other areas of the country are experiencing contrasting weather — a sign of the uncertainty that marks the deepening of the climate crisis. The heatwave is because of a high-pressure system over central India that has caused subsidence of hot air, a phenomenon not common for this time of the year; the clear skies that have resulted have allowed higher intensity of solar radiation, causing overall heating.

Heatwave conditions across large swathes of central and western India, and Odisha in the east, have set in several weeks early, even as other areas of the country are experiencing contrasting weather — a sign of the uncertainty that marks the deepening of the climate crisis. The heatwave is because of a high-pressure system over central India that has caused subsidence of hot air, a phenomenon not common for this time of the year; the clear skies that have resulted have allowed higher intensity of solar radiation, causing overall heating.

As such seasonal uncertainty becomes the norm — and summers get hotter and drier — governments will need to evolve adaptation strategies and policies to ensure minimal loss or damage to lives and livelihoods. Cooling needs across residential, office, and commercial areas will shoot up sharply, which will have a commensurate effect on electricity demand. Peak demand in some places may become unserviceable unless utilisation of installed generation capacity improves, and power can be sourced from elsewhere. However, the question of a spike in greenhouse emissions due to increased capacity utilisation remains, given India’s generation is still coal-led. To that end, a clutch of electricity-independent cooling solutions must be implemented — new building plans should have specific heat-cutting design elements and older buildings must be surveyed for propensity for heat retention and retrofitted with cooling material.

Water availability will also be another concern. Given that several heat-related illnesses are linked to dehydration, adequate water supply should be ensured in summer. Increasingly, in Delhi as well as other major cities, many localities have seen growing dependence on irregular and even illicit sources for meeting their water needs. Governments — federal, state and local — will have to double down on information and awareness on heat avoidance and treating heat-related illness. Policymakers need to explore mandatory work from home to avoid exposure for one class of workers and income and other support for another whose nature of work is such that heat exposure can’t be avoided.

With more common, intense heatwaves, the imperative for policy to pre-empt their destabilising effects will get bigger. Keeping a response plan ready — for instance, all cities must have heat action plans — can help minimise human and capital losses.