Thursday, 11 Sep, 2025
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The heatwave is putting the country’s infrastructure to the test. Power grids are stretched, water sources are under strain, and healthcare systems are struggling to manage rising heat-related illnesses.
Northern India is in the grip of a severe heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 45°C across several cities. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) website, in Delhi, by 8:30 a.m. on June 12, the heat index—which combines temperature and humidity—made it feel like 45.3°C. For millions, that’s not just uncomfortable. It’s dangerous.
Environmentalists caution that this is not an isolated incident, but part of a disturbing pattern—with extreme heatwaves growing in frequency, intensity, and lethality. Yet, India’s preparedness and adaptive response remain critically underdeveloped.
The most vulnerable—outdoor workers, street vendors, delivery riders, and farmers— are the hardest hit. For them, the heat isn’t just about discomfort. It’s a daily threat to their health and livelihood. Telling people to stay indoors or drink more water doesn’t help when their income depends on braving the streets.
Despite mounting risks, the preparation remains patchy. A few cities have drafted heat action plans, but most are underfunded or poorly enforced. Meanwhile, rapid urbanisation is making things worse—cutting down trees, paving over green spaces, and building heat-trapping concrete landscapes with little thought to climate resilience.
Experts are of the view that if India wants to protect both its people and its economic ambitions, it must move beyond reactive measures. That means investing in shaded public spaces, enforcing rest breaks for outdoor workers, improving access to cooling for low-income communities, and making heat mitigation a core part of urban planning. This blistering heatwave is not just another weather event. It’s a clear signal that climate extremes are here to stay. Ignoring it is no longer an option.
India is not alone—record-breaking heat is battering cities from Mexico to Southeast Asia. But for a country with a young population, massive urban growth, and patchy public services, the risks are uniquely high. The government has heat action plans in place for many cities, but implementation is uneven, and resources limited.
Red alerts, school shutdowns, and hospital advisories becoming alarmingly common. After 2024 went down as the hottest year ever recorded globally, the heatwaves of 2025 are driving home a harsh truth: extreme weather is no longer a seasonal inconvenience. It’s turning into a full-blown economic threat.
The immediate impacts are evident—children out of school, people falling ill, productivity stalling. But what’s less visible is the long-term drag on growth. According to global estimates, 80 million jobs could be lost by 2030 due to heat stress—and India alone is expected to account for more than 40 per cent of that, or 34 million jobs.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has already raised a red flag, warning that up to 4.5 per cent of GDP could be at risk this decade as rising temperatures cut into labour hours. That’s a huge hit for an economy still banking on its young, growing workforce to deliver its next phase of development.
Sectors such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing—where work largely happens outdoors or in poorly ventilated spaces—are bearing the brunt. When the mercury climbs past 40°C, productivity drops, work slows, and in many cases, stops altogether. The result? Missed deadlines, stalled output, and lost income—especially for the poorest workers.
Meanwhile, the heatwave is testing the country’s infrastructure. Power grids are stretched thin, water supplies are under pressure, and public health systems are struggling to keep up with the surge in heat-related illnesses.
The bigger issue is that many of these challenges aren’t new. But what’s changed is the frequency and intensity of extreme heat. What used to be considered once-in-a-decade events are now happening every year, sometimes more than once.
India’s young population is often described as its greatest asset. But if rising heat keeps sidelining its workforce, that demographic dividend could turn into an economic liability. The climate crisis is already here—and unless the government responds with the urgency it demands, the cost of inaction will only get hotter.
