"Worst Summer In Last 120 Years": India Singes Under Intense Heatwave
NDTV
The extreme heatwave has had a broader environmental impact. Water shortages in Delhi have exacerbated the crisis, with people scrambling for water in various parts of the city.
Ninety-nine suspected heatstroke deaths in Odisha, 33 poll personnel dead in Uttar Pradesh during the seventh and final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and severe water shortage in some parts of the national capital Delhi - India is currently enduring a devastating heatwave.
The deaths in Odisha have been predominantly reported from the districts of Bolangir, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Sonepur, Sundergarh, and Balasore. The state government has urged urgent implementation of heatwave advisories and precautionary measures. In UP, among the 33 dead poll personnel, were home guards, sanitation workers, and other poll staff. Additionally, a voter died at a polling booth in the Sikandarpur area of Ballia Lok Sabha constituency.
Delhi is not spared from the soaring temperatures. Last week, Delhi's Mungeshpur area recorded a maximum temperature of 52.3 degrees Celsius, the highest ever in the city, though this was later corrected to 49.3 degrees Celsius by the weather office due to a faulty sensor. The Delhi High Court, alarmed by the severe temperature spike, warned that the city could turn into a "barren desert" if deforestation continues unchecked. The court has directed the Delhi government to provide the necessary infrastructure to support the committee overseeing forest protection, now renamed the 'Special Empowered Committee.'
