Heatwaves in India are becoming more frequent and intense in India, affecting both human life and animal life. The summer of 2024 saw several states grappling with persistent heatwaves and temperatures rise past 50 C in some areas. Media reported 143 cases of heatstroke deaths and more than 41,000 heatstroke cases – which is likely a fraction of the cases gone unreported.

The crisis highlights several underlying problems. There is a severe lack of resources – institutional, financial, and physical – to mitigate the risks of heatwaves. Inadequate housing, with poor ventilation and cooling, exacerbates the vulnerability of populations, particularly those without stable homes who live in makeshift shelters. Since many of the impacted people depend on their daily wages to survive, this problem is also closely related to food security.