A cart puller in Sunsari district succumbed to heat wave last week. We are afraid this could be a beginning of people suffering from or even dying to extreme heat conditions, also called Loo. A number of poor and elderly die of extreme heat in Tarai every year. It has crippled normal life in many parts of western and central region this year as well. Sustained period of drought and rising temperature have raised the alarm that it could affect whole country. Mercury has risen to record high in several places—43 degree Celsius in Nepalgunj (only a point below the record high of May 2014's 44 degree Celsius, 43.3 in Bhairahawa, 44.5 in Dipayal and 41.3 in Dhangadhi. It has climbed higher than 35 elsewhere. Kathmanduites witnessed the hottest day on Saturday, with 35 degree Celsius, maximum temperature record. When people in Kathmandu are puffing and sweating and complaining of heat, one can imagine situation in Tarai. We need to stay alert and immediately devise preparedness plan for safety. The sun's fury has already claimed more than 2,500 lives (and counting) in Andra Pradhesh, Telangana and Odisha in India.Nepal has not had huge heat wave casualties. But evidence suggests that it could be extremely dangerous. Hot weather kills more Americans than all other natural disasters combined. The US Natural Resources Defense Council estimated in 2014 that excessive heat caused by climate change could kill more than 150,000 Americans by the end of the century. About 72, 000 people succumbed to it in Europe in 2003, 56, 000 in Russia in 2010 and 2,600 in India in 1998. Given the trend of temperature going up every other day and no immediate sign of early monsoon, the state agencies must spring to action and take every possible measure to ensure that people do not lose their lives to yet another calamity. The situation calls for stronger action also because the earthquake has added to people's woes in the hills—considered relatively safer from heat than the plains.
The homeless have been living under shelters made of corrugated sheets, which give off excessive heat during the day. Thus the hill villagers—like their brethren in the Southern pains—are equally vulnerable. Dry weather and heat wave affect more people than other natural calamities. Children and aged people are more susceptible. Those whose work involves spending time outdoors are at the greater risk. Yes, there is no dearth of precaution measures. One should avoid walking out under the sun, sit under fan or air conditioned room, and in case the person is under attack s/he should drink as much lassi, juice and coconut water and eat as much cucumber and watermelon, goes the advice. But these are too big a luxury for the teeming millions of poor in the hills and Tarai. While broader international commitment is required to address climate change so as to limit its impact on rising temperature, Nepal should treat heat wave as a disaster. The state needs to formulate action plan for heat wave preparedness to save its citizens from preventable deaths. What better time to do so when millions in the hills have lost homes and mercury is cruelly dealing a heavy blow on people in Tarai.
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