New Delhi: At least 33 people, including election officials on duty, have died due to suspected heatstroke in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha on Friday. Authorities have warned that the heatwave in the region is expected to persist until Saturday.
India is enduring an exceptionally hot summer, with a part of Delhi recording the country’s highest-ever temperature at 52.9 degrees Celsius (127.22°F) this week. However, the weather department is currently verifying the sensors of the weather station that reported this record temperature.
While temperatures in northwestern and central India are predicted to decline in the coming days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated that the heatwave over eastern India is likely to continue for another two days. The IMD classifies a heatwave when the temperature is 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius above the average.
In Bihar, officials reported that 14 people died on Thursday, including 10 involved in organizing the ongoing seven-phase national elections. Many election officials are required to be on duty outdoors for extended periods.
Parts of Bihar are scheduled to vote in the final round of polling on Saturday. In Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, at least nine election personnel, including security personnel, died on Friday, according to government officials.
“They had high-grade fever when they were brought in. It could be due to heatstroke as well. We are currently treating at least 23 people brought in from election duty,” R.B. Kamal, principal of the medical college where the personnel are being treated, told reporters.
The world’s largest election has been marred by record temperatures this summer. The last phase of voting is set for Saturday, with vote counting scheduled for Tuesday.
In Odisha’s Rourkela region, ten deaths were reported at a government hospital on Thursday. The Odisha government has since advised against outdoor activities between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. when temperatures are at their peak. Additionally, three suspected heatstroke deaths were reported in Jharkhand, neighboring Bihar, according to local media.
In Delhi, where temperatures soared to 45.4 degrees Celsius on Friday afternoon, the city recorded its first heat-related death this week and is grappling with an acute water shortage. High temperatures have also caused birds and wild monkeys to faint or fall ill. The city zoo has implemented measures such as pools and sprinklers to provide relief to its 1,200 animals.
“We have shifted to a summer management diet, which includes more liquids as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables that have high water content,” Sanjeet Kumar, director of the zoo, told news agency ANI.
India, the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has set a target to become a net-zero emitter by 2070. While the heatwave impacts parts of the country, the northeastern states of Manipur and Assam have been experiencing heavy rainfall due to Cyclone Remal, leading to widespread flooding on Friday. Monsoon rains also reached Kerala on Thursday, two days earlier than anticipated.