Inconsistencies and Contradictions

  More than 100 have died in Balia and Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh in last few days . These districts have experienced heatwave conditions. IMD has given orange alert warning (40℃ to 45℃) for these as well as other districts in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. For those who are aware, Kim Stanley Robinson’s Climate fiction ‘The Ministry for the Future’ opens with a stunning description of heatwave related deaths in Uttar Pradesh. What is happening now in Deoria and Balia district has uncanny resemblance to what author has imagined. In some sense, we have been made aware of what awaits us, though we have decided to bury it because it is inconvenient. Even now, these deaths are not officially attributed to heatwave. Here is what I think have happened. It is a hypothesis rather than a statement with some proof. Balia and Deoria are districts near Ganga, a large water body. Rising temperatures have caused greater evaporation of this water body leading to excessive humidity in the surround

3 months of the summer of 2023 have passed so far. Compared to last year, this summer has been less scorching. The temperatures in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) were around 40℃ in March and April 2022. This year, it was only in April, temperatures rose to that uncomfortable level. March 2023 was surprisingly pleasant this time, more so because we anticipated something harsher. After the 23 rd April 2023, temperature have dropped by few degrees and most importantly it has become somewhat tolerable again. But this summer has left an indelible mark on our memory due to several deaths caused by heatstroke on 16 th April 2023 . Deaths of heatstroke is not the possibility one typically associates with MMR. We have train track deaths and reckless driving for such association. (Perhaps we add ‘mauled by stray dogs’ as well, if not now then in near future!) Those deaths reminded me of climate fiction ‘ The Ministry for the Future ’ by Kim Stanley Robinson. This novel opens with a clima