2024-05-10 07:25:28
Dr. Seema Javed, New Delhi: This year the heat has broken all records and embers are raining unevenly. The Sun God is showing his wrath every day, scorching humans, animals, birds, trees and plants. India has been battling an unprecedented heat wave since the beginning of the summer season in March-April. In such an environment, Lok Sabha elections in India are being held in seven phases between April 19 and June 1. In this, about 97 crore people are expected to exercise their franchise. The first phase of elections was held on 19th April and the second phase on 26th April and the third phase of Lok Sabha elections was concluded on 7th May with voters suffering from the heat.
This year in 2024, elections are to be held in more than 50 countries of the world including India which is home to half of the world’s population. Climate and local weather systems are playing an important role in the ongoing elections from Russia, Taiwan and Britain to India, El Salvador and South Africa etc. It is worth noting. According to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization, a United Nations agency, the year 2023 will be the hottest Asia in 125 years. This global warming due to climate change seems to increase even more in the year 2024. Its effect is visible in all the countries of the world including India.
Heat record is being broken in India
Even at the global level, every month is creating a new record of heat. The last 10 months till June 2023 have been the hottest due to the Super El Nino effect. The same temperature trend is going to remain in May 2024 and perhaps May will be the 11th consecutive hottest month in the last 125 years. The Indian Meteorological Department had already predicted more than twice the average heat waves from April to June. That means the heat wave was predicted to last for 10 to 20 days compared to the usual four to eight days. Kerala has been in the grip of record breaking heat wave in April. In some parts of India the mercury remains between 42-45 degrees. It is even reaching 47 degrees. April has also seen the longest heat wave lasting 15 days. Now five phases of elections are left to be held on 13 May, 20 May, 25 May and 01 June. Meanwhile, pre-monsoon rain is expected in some parts.
summer conditions in india
United Nations IPCC scientist Roxy Matthew Cole has described the scorching heat scorching the Pacific Ocean region, including India, like a ‘frying pan’. Even at the global level, every month is creating a new record of heat. The World Meteorological Organization’s Climate Situation in Asia – 2023 report says that the impact of heatwave has intensified here. According to Climate Central, an American organization working on climate change, there is a possibility of at least doubling of daytime temperatures due to climate change.
El Nino’s impact on weather
Apart from this, heat stress has also increased due to decreasing effect of El Nino. For the first time in electoral history, the Central Election Commission has constituted a ‘Task Force’ to deal with this situation. At the same time, due to the increasing intensity of heatwave, a debate has started on whether the timing of general elections can be changed and it can be held during better climatic conditions. According to joint data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA, the global temperature in the year 2023 will be the highest in 144 years of record at 1.4 degrees Celsius. NOAA also warns that there is a one in three chance of even higher temperatures in 2024.
breaking heat record
And there is a 99 percent chance that it will rank among the top five hottest years in human history. There is a possibility that 2024 may also follow the same path. Ashok Lavasa, former Election Commissioner of India, gave an example of the year 1951 when Lok Sabha elections in the highlands of Himachal Pradesh were held in September, while the rest of the country went to the polls in October. This was done because the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh receive snowfall during the elections held from October to December.
The author Dr. Seema Javed is an expert on environmental matters and is a senior columnist.