Throughout India’s six-week nationwide election, climate change and the impact it’s having on Indians was brought into sharp focus.
In the last ten days alone, at least 77 people were killed by extreme temperatures, including dozens of poll workers, as voting wrapped up.
At a press briefing on Monday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar admitted that the election should have taken place at least a month sooner when temperatures were cooler.
“We should not have conducted it in such heat,” Kumar said.
Research published last month by the United Nations paints a bleak image of the impact extreme heat will have on the country, with a UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) report finding the country is “expected to lose about 5.8% of daily working hours due to heat stress in 2030” in April.
“The problem is most severe for outdoor workers, particularly those employed in agriculture and construction, but also relevant for indoor factory workers,” it added.
