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By Jack Graham [[link removed]] | Climate change and nature correspondent, UK

A dangerously hot election

The sheer scale of India's election is mind-boggling.

Kicking off last Friday, about 1 billion people will come out to vote over the next six weeks.

Globally, this is the biggest ever year for elections, and they could have a huge impact on global climate action [[link removed]]. But in India, the immediate concern is what impact heatwaves driven by climate change could have on the voting process.

This week, my colleague Bhasker Tripathi in New Delhi reports on the threat of extreme heat [[link removed]] as people gather for campaign rallies and face long treks to rural polling stations.

During the April to June hot weather season, various parts of the country could record 10 to 20 heatwave days [[link removed]] compared to the normal four to eight, the head of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said earlier this month.

A woman leaves after casting her vote at a polling station during the first phase of the general election, in Bikaner district, Rajasthan, India, April 19, 2024. REUTERS/Amit Dave

While hot weather in India is hardly a surprise, the intensity and frequency of heatwaves is rising due to climate change [[link removed]].

As the heat increases, so do the risks of outdoor activities. Last April, eleven people died [[link removed]] and several more were hospitalised with heatstroke after they attended a political event held under the afternoon sun in Maharashtra state.

That memory looms large for the Electoral Commission of India, which has instructed electoral officers in each state to raise awareness and help voters cope, from drinking water to having ambulances on hand.

But public health experts spot a major gap: there is no heat guidance for campaign rallies.

Women cover their faces to protect from heat as they arrive at a polling station to cast their votes during the first phase of the general election, in Bikaner district, Rajasthan, India, April 19, 2024. REUTERS/Amit Dave

The campaign hotspot

Dileep Mavalankar is someone who knows a thing or two about heat. He used to run the Indian Institute of Public Health and helped draw up India's first heat action plan for the city of Ahmedabad in 2013.

"There should be strict guidelines on hours of the day when rallies and meetings can be organised, if there is a heatwave," Mavalankar told Context.

After all, the tragedy at Maharashtra was at an outdoor event - not in a queue to vote.

Where possible, Mavalankar said, rallies should be suspended or moved indoors. And medical support should be on hand with local hospitals on standby.

In the southern state of Telangana, Anvesh Reddy, a politician with Kisan Congress, said the party was taking its own precautions as temperatures top 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

"We have mostly been meeting voters between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. in the morning and then after 5 p.m. in the evening," Reddy said.

But political consultants said there should be specific guidelines to ensure no party takes the issue lightly, and often large campaign events have nowhere near enough medical staff.

With heatwaves like this due to get increasingly common, people may opt to stay at home. Protecting people, therefore, may mean protecting democracy.

See you next week,

Jack

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