Banda, a town in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region, is experiencing an extreme heatwave with temperatures soaring above 48 degrees Celsius. The scorching heat has forced residents to adapt traditional and innovative survival methods to cope with the relentless conditions.
Life at Over 48°C
As one enters Banda, the heat hits first. This is not summer but survival. With a population of 1,799,410, the town folds in by noon. Streets empty, shops shut, and children are locked indoors. Fans merely swirl hot air. For days, Banda has been hotter than Middle Eastern deserts. The air feels like a blast furnace, metal burns, and tap water runs warm. Even nights offer no escape as the ground radiates heat. The 2019 record of 49.2°C still holds, but temperatures of 47°C and 48°C are now common. By 11 am, life retreats indoors.
Traditional Cooling Methods
To fight the heatwave, Banda has developed its own survival methods. By 11 am, many markets in Pangara, Naraini, and Atarra villages begin to close. In narrow lanes, traders sprinkle water outside their shops, hoping evaporation might briefly soften the blaze. Families drag hoses to terraces, soaking concrete roofs before nightfall to make rooms below barely habitable. Walls are repainted with limestone to absorb heat. Laxmi Narayan, a local, says, 'The rituals are old, but the desperation feels new.'
By noon, the crowd on the streets disappears. Shop shutters clang down earlier than usual. Tea stalls fall silent, and rickshaw pullers vanish into pockets of shade. Everyone is trying age-old, innovative ways to beat the heat.
Struggles in Naraini
In Naraini, where power cuts and frequent tripping still occur, sleep has become a negotiation with sweat. Aditya Tiwari, a trader, says, 'Entire families carry charpoys onto terraces after dark, hoping for a breeze. Many pour water directly onto the floor before lying down, turning homes into makeshift cooling chambers for a few fleeting minutes.' He adds, 'We avoid venturing out in the blazing sun as much as possible. If we have to, we keep wiping our forehead with a wet gamcha.'
Impact on Daily Life
Amid the punishing heatwave, mornings begin unnaturally early. Vegetable vendors finish rounds before noon, and construction workers retreat by afternoon. However, for daily wage labourers, the heat cannot be avoided. In the evenings, when temperatures dip from unbearable to merely brutal, neighbourhoods slowly return outdoors. Conversations resume on charpoys, and men gather at paan kiosks. Nikhil Yadav, a pharmacist, says, 'I open shop at 7 am and close by noon. I return only after sunset. Survival comes first, money can wait.'
Health Concerns
At Banda district hospital, doctors report a familiar procession of dehydration, dizziness, and exhaustion. Oral rehydration salts disappear quickly from pharmacy shelves. Watermelons, cucumbers, and earthen matkas have become both commodity and comfort. The weather office has forecast that 'heatwave to severe heatwave' conditions are likely to continue over southern districts of Uttar Pradesh for the next three to four days, particularly in Bundelkhand, with little immediate relief expected.
Administrative Measures
To help residents battle the relentless heat, the administration has installed 'pyaus' (public drinking water kiosks) across the town and at the railway station. At the bustling Kutchery crossing, authorities have set up a makeshift resting shelter fitted with coolers, offering passersby a brief escape from the searing afternoon sun.
Model Heat Action Plan
After the devastating 2010 heatwave, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and partners launched India's first Heat Action Plan (HAP) in 2013. Updated periodically, the HAP guides extreme heat planning with an early warning system. Its main goal is to alert vulnerable groups when extreme heat hits and ensure precautions. It also covers long-term steps like the Ahmedabad Cool Roofs Program. A 2018 study found that the HAP helped avoid an estimated 2,380 deaths. Key components include public awareness, early warning, capacity building, reducing heat exposure, promoting adaptive measures, and launching cool roofs programmes.
