Millions of people in India are sweltering amid a scorching early season heatwave and a brutal drought.
India is experiencing severe water shortages after at least two consecutive years of inadequate rainfall, its government said. At the same time, states in central, eastern and southern India have recorded unusually high temperatures this month, topping 100 degrees.
Advertisement
Temperatures that hot normally occur later in the year, state meteorologist Y.K. Reddy told The Associated Press. The country usually experiences high temperatures just before the monsoon season starts in early June, AP added.
Water in the country's major reservoirs was at 23 percent of total storage capacity earlier this month, according to the Times of India.
Some 330 million people, or one-quarter of the Indian population, are suffering from consequences of the drought, the government said last week.
Advertisement
Tens of thousands of people have migrated from rural to urban areas in search of better access to water, food and jobs. Many of those migrants have left behind women, children and the elderly to fend for themselves, Reuters reported.
Schools were shut in some regions, and Indian Premier League cricket matches were ordered to move from western Maharashtra state due to concerns that water would be wasted in maintaining grounds, AFP reported.
India's notorious pre-monsoon heat waves have killed scores of people in the past -- 22,562 people have died as a result of them since 1992 -- and this year's water shortages have exacerbated the heat. At least 160 people have died as a result of this year's heat.
Last week, a 12-year-old girl in Beed, a village in Maharashtra state, died after suffering a heat stroke and dehydration as temperatures soared to about 107, according to The Indian Express.
Advertisement
The Indian government had dispatched trains carrying water to some areas, but many people say these measures have been insufficient. A group of over 100 activists and public figures penned an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, calling the government's drought response "sadly listless" and "lacking in both urgency and compassion."
Meteorologists say rainfall may be normal during this year's monsoon season, projected to start in June, due to weakened effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Take a look at photos, taken in April, that show how Indians are coping with the heat and drought.
Danish Siddiqui / Reuters
The government has sent water tankers to parts of India, including Masurdi village in Maharashtra state.
Anindito Mukherjee / Reuters
A girl carries a can filled with drinking water in New Delhi.
NOAH SEELAM/AFP/Getty Images
Many people have migrated from rural to urban areas in search of better access to food, water and jobs. Many farmers' fields, like this in Chandampet Mandal, have dried up.
Advertisement
NOAH SEELAM/AFP/Getty Images
Some villagers in Chandampet Mandal have had to collect water from a leaking pipe on the side of the road.
NOAH SEELAM/AFP/Getty Images
A villager carries drinking water containers in Chandampet Mandal.
SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP/Getty Images
Many cattle, like this one in Gondiya, a village in Maharashtra state, have passed out or died as a result of the heat.
Advertisement
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.