Many deaths have taken place and it is difficult to get an exact count. Some of these are not attributed to heat but to heart attacks or other conditions triggered by the heat. In Delhi, 120 deaths have been reported but the actual count could be much more.
Hospitals find it difficult to provide care for the large number of people who seek treatment. Typically, people from the lower strata of society, especially labourers and migrant workers, are the most affected. Most vendors have reported a loss of earnings. Work timings have been rescheduled, but people still find it difficult to work.
According to a World Bank study, almost 75 per cent of India’s workforce depends on heat-exposed labour. It is estimated that India might account for almost 43 per cent of global job losses from heat stress-associated productivity declines by 2030.
The human situation in which death, illnesses, and livelihood problems affect individuals and families is not captured by these percentages. In many places, it is the new Covid-19.