Kolkata: The Deadly Tentacles of Global Warming!

It’d be wrong if I say I’ll never be able to forget about that particular near-dawn while nestled inside a crammed flat in a congested locality of Kolkata, which was once, in my opinion, given the euphoric title of ‘City of Joy’. Instead, I should say I’ll always remember that particular near-dawn which is essentially to keep myself somewhat prepared for more similar or worse experiences in the near future. Yes, it’s about the IMD-described ‘one of the longest and deadliest summers in India’ of which Kolkata is a very significant part. Now to what happened in that near-dawn which is, in fact, is only a day before. 

I woke up suddenly in the dead of the night and immediately felt the oppressiveness which was apparently the cause of waking up. The ceiling fan was whirring above us, my wife and I; but its gusts of air were no longer airy—it only seemed to have lost itself into the relentless clutch of that oppressiveness. I was sweating profusely and the heat rashes all over my body were pinching me like long needles, rather letting me only have the usual itching. The night was calm, still and thick. As if the tentacles of that oppressive heat that was raging outside barged in through the concrete walls and the closed doors and windows and launched themselves into our hapless bodies mercilessly. I checked my mobile: it was just past three in the morning, a near dawn. I couldn’t believe my eyes. How is it possible? This time the surroundings always cool off leading all of us humanity to a welcoming relieving beautiful morning.

 

I tossed around on the bed for some time, thinking the air was going to cool off soon and the hands of the ceiling fan would restore themselves to their normal business. But nothing of the sort happened even as my wife stirred, sat up on bed and shared the oppressiveness with me. It seemed like an attack from the aliens: perhaps they are launching the final assault after all those preliminary warnings.

 

I had before me only the last resort to fall upon. We have an ageing window air-conditioning machine that befits the old rented flat and which we normally run in the evenings for a few hours to cool the house, and at bedtime we switch it off. That night too we switched it off around one in the night. Scared by my writhing body my wife asked me if she should switch it on. I nodded at her with a guilty feeing—guilty because I was thinking about the huge majority of our country’s population that still cannot afford an AC machine. I do always think about those daily labourers, the cleaners & rag-pickers, the rickshaw pullers and all others caught in that cruel cycle at no point of which could they afford a day lost without work. And for that matter, the ACs are not the solution at all—they only give temporary comfort like painkillers to the ‘lucky’ users and make the world a far worse place to live in.

 

It was not important that we managed to fall asleep within the next two hours and could also afford the luxury of waking up late in the morning; what is of utmost importance is the question as to what future we’re running toward! Kolkata is just a case study for us even as the summers in India and in many other countries around are becoming warmer by 2-3 degrees more every year, and in this particular summer the ‘landmark’ 50-degree Centigrade has been reached in many parts of India including capital Delhi. Like last year, the heat waves started in Kolkata in the month of April too this year, and as a departure from the previous year the 40+ temperatures this year raged on for several weeks on the trot, not allowing even the seasonal thunderstorms locally known as ‘Kal Baisakhi’ for mid-term relief, even once. And to add more, the nights everywhere in the country are no longer cooling off with temperatures refusing to come below 30-32 Centigrade; occasional rains too are failing miserably to bring the temperatures down.

 

Cyclone Remal brought some relief to Kolkata in terms of a user-friendly weather, apart from the damage it had caused in its trail in the eastern and the north-eastern regions. However, the cyclone probably left a veil of moisture hangover, and therefore, as the temperatures started to rise again the humidity became a deadly factor, not to speak of the immeasurable damage caused by the UV index to the human bodies thanks to the intense sunrays. At nights or even in the wee hours if you have 32-degree temperature, the humidity of about 80% would surely make it feel like 40 or more. And this tells the exact story of Kolkata in the last fortnight, and nobody knows for how long yet: intense sunlight and the occasional clouds coming together in the evenings to make the nights horribly hot and gloomy.

 

But we cannot explain it off with only the cyclone occurrence, because from late May to June the atmosphere gets laden with moisture due to the advancing South West Monsoon. It boils down to the mercilessly rising temperatures which become near-fatal if combined with the rising humidity. This does not augur well for humanity at all. And even with temperatures alone, more than 50-degree C can cause havoc to the human body, leading to sunstrokes and deaths. This summer many humans have perished in India including poll officials on duty for the General Elections and many are falling sick and perishing still, which our politically supercharged media hardly takes any note of. And our leaders or the world leaders? Well, less said the better! They’re more interested in power and war games! How the hell are we going to combat Global Warming and to protect our planet and humanity from its relentlessly spreading tentacles? Time is running out! Anybody listening at all?

And Then the Winter!

When we returned to Kolkata by the third week of January 2023 we hoped we still had a chance of catching the winter that we miss most often due to our compulsory visits to Maharashtra. As per our own experience in previous years in the city of joy the month of February could still be cold or even chilly if you're lucky! We had the stock of the woollens ready to welcome us in. However, to our utter disappointment the temperatures kept on climbing making the use of all my sweaters, jackets, blazers and so on an wasted thought. The summer looked to be around very early this time. In fact, in several regions of the country there were heat waves! February heat waves, imagine! 

Early March we came to Assam as another integral part of our compulsive itinerary. The first few days were almost the same in terms of heat, except that the nights were much cooler, but still not enough to justify the use of sweaters one of which I carried in my bag as a reasonable discretion. From the 15th of that month things changed, as if to recompense our unfulfilled desires. 

Weather became cloudy. Rains, not exactly downpours, became intermittent; there were thunderstorms in various parts; and a steady cold breeze became the order of every day. All these factors made the air cool, and then really chilly. I thanked myself profusely for my discretion of carrying a sweater. I wore that continuously for at least ten days and thought remorsefully about the unutilized stock cold shouldered by the cupboards of Kolkata! 

We don't know if the conditions thus created are thanks to the unseasonal rains or the westerly winds or the ominously omnipresent climate change phenomenon. But anyhow, we had the winter that we desired so much to enjoy, even though we'd discovered it quite a bit  late. Yes, and then the winter, belated but most welcome! 

Over the 'wintry' days we got the news that these conditions were observed in most parts of the country, and that the month became the coldest March in more than seventy years. 

Now, what but to brace for the looming summer which, as the Met department has already declared, is going to be rough with above normal temperatures in almost all the states of India. But as usual, we cannot be too sure of anything. Soaring heat that then becomes intolerably humid has been the state of things in the last at least three years, with add-on of the Pandemic. Only wish the Homo Sapiens had found a solution to tackle climate change and global warming effectively. To be safe, let's not worry too much! 

The India Monsoon EMIs in Severe Default!

The South West Monsoon has always been the mainstay of Indian agriculture, being the main source of rainfall accounting for more than 75% of total rainfall in the country every year. Most often than not, the IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) forecasts a normal or near-normal monsoon with about -/+ 5% margin of error, and this year (2022) too it had predicted a normal monsoon which, in fact, was supposed to arrive at least a week in advance. And, it did indeed arrive early hitting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by middle of May, and then advancing to Kerala, to Maharashtra and gradually the whole country. Unfortunately, its early arrival hasn’t benefited even Kerala and Maharashtra, patiently queuing up for the early-bird offers,  while venting its wrath in the North East, particularly in the state of Assam creating unprecedented floods in the main city of Guwahati and many other districts. In a few days the monsoon had exceeded its monthly quota of rains in Assam by more than 150% and rained more than 200% of its quota in Guwahati in a few hours. And, it’s still not relenting.

 

As per the latest data released by the IMD the monsoon has been either deficient or severely deficient in 18 states that account for around 54% of the total land mass of the country. Ironically, hoping for the benefits of its early arrival Kerala is suffering from around 55% rain-deficit of the June quota while the next-in-line Maharashtra is 33% deficient. The deficit goes to up to as high as 70% in case of Delhi, covering in its wake most of the northern states. So, where exactly the monsoon is pouring? Obviously, the most indiscriminate downpours falling in severe excess in the North-East and in parts of the Eastern region, and of course, some other scattered areas.

 

The South West Monsoon stays in action for four months, namely June-September, every year. Therefore, we can reasonably call it Equated Monthly Installments (EMI) of rains and hope for its equitable distribution during the period. However, since the last nearly two decades we’ve been witness to the most unjust EMIs; at times, the full EMI quota gets poured out in a matter of hours or in one day as we’ve mentioned earlier for some regions while in other areas the EMIs go into a severe defaulting mode. For the floods in the metros and major cities suffering people blame the municipal authorities for their failure to prevent water logging by not preparing well; but, when a full EMI get spent in a matter of hours, no authorities could possibly hope for prevention, not only in India but all over the globe.

 

Who are to blame for this then? Well, we cannot hope to find easy scapegoats except for the immensely demonstrated wrath of Mother Nature, again and again, as if punishing humankind for its sins spread over centuries. Obviously, the sins of humankind are making this Planet Earth increasingly inhabitable with the waves of heat in terms of a global warming that is going out of control as well as the unprecedented bursts of showers to follow in suit—both making life extremely painful. Are we learning any lessons yet?

 

The IMD goes on to say that the inactive phase of the monsoon in many regions could possibly be due to the non-formation of low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal; but then, this doesn’t explain the worrying shortfalls in some of the Northern, Western and Central states. Hopefully, they say, the active phase would begin in the first week of July 2022 that can help recover the deficits. In that too, there are causes enough for more worries. As per the defaulting EMI syndrome, the compensation could come in unprecedented downpours in one hour on in one day which would again make people suffer. Who can bring the EMIs to an equitable mode? Ever again, if at all?

 

We cannot forget the downpours in the city of Kolkata last year when the delayed monsoon vented its wrath in very concentrated heavy downpours later which resulted in severe water logging all around the city with the water threatening to enter houses in areas that never saw such events. On many occasions earlier I’d mentioned the ‘YesMonsoon, No Monsoon’ situations in the financial capital of Mumbai, and the suffering of the farmers of Maharashtra in many of its drought-prone areas. This time, I’ve seen similar situations in Kolkata, the City of Joy. The Monsoon arrived in North Bengal much in advance and heavy downpours are still continuing there. But there’s absolutely nothing to indicate that the Monsoon has also arrived in South Bengal, particularly in Kolkata. Despite regular weather forecasts for rain on a daily basis, the monsoon is defying it on a daily basis too as if enjoying the prolonged spell of humid and sweating heat in the city. The temperatures are still hell-bent on crossing the 35 degree C on a daily basis, adding more misery to the citizens with humidity of more than 80% that is triggered by the inconsistent light rains. As on June-end Kolkata is suffering a rain-deficit of more than 50%. For the next months of July and August we wait with fingers crossed, because we don’t how the ‘compensation or recovery’ would materialize.

 

Hopefully, as the IMD says, the Monsoon does really become active in the coming days, and most importantly, sticks to a strictly non-defaulting EMI mode. The farmers in many states are still waiting to sow their seeds, and the subsistence living of most of them depends on an equitable distribution of rains in the coming months. Excessive rains damage their plants as well as the lack of it, and we hope the ‘compensation’ doesn’t spill over to more months, because unseasonal rains damage their growing plants with more devastating effects.

Heat Wave In India: The Hits And More Heats Of The Heat!

The Indian summer begins from around the end of March and temperatures start soaring reaching the peak in the month of May in the range of 40 to 47/48 degree Celsius in most parts of North, North-Western and Central regions. This year, 2022, however, the heat began from the second part of March and temperatures soared to much above normal by mid-April reaching the forties. Immediately thereafter, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had declared heat wave conditions and then orange alert in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Normally, heat wave conditions are declared when temperatures cross the 40℃ mark and orange alert as the 45℃ is crossed. The capital city Delhi has been in heat wave conditions for the last fortnight and on Friday, the 29^th of April, the mercury has crossed 46.4℃ making this month the hottest ever April in the capital in 72 years. As per the IMD data this April could very well be the hottest ever April in history in India. The IMD has, of course, hinted at a respite predicting rains/thunder showers in the North-Western belt after 2^nd May.  But what is store after that in the usually hottest month of May? There is an ominous prediction from the IMD that the mercury could reach 50℃ in Rajasthan and probably in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra too. We must brace for the worst even as there have some other grim additional hits and heats of the heat.

 

The first major hit-of-the-heat is emanating from the extreme coal shortage in the country. States like Maharashtra and others have already had power outages as the thermal plants are running out of coal. The hit is further heightened by the Government of Maharashtra’s allegation that the central Government is deliberately cutting off supply of coal as this state is ruled by a non-BJP coalition. This allegation is not at all helped by the Union Coal Ministry’s assurance that the country has enough supply of coal to sail through the crisis, because many other states are also facing the heat of this hit. The Indian Railways have cancelled more than 700 trips involving 42 passenger trains to prioritize the smooth movement of the coal rakes. So, the question arises as to how this crisis is allowed to happen considering the obvious fact that demand for power was bound to soar after the two-year pandemic slump as all COVID-related restrictions were lifted from March onward, apart from the other more obvious fact that demand for power reaches its peak during the months of April and Many even otherwise every year.

 

According to an IndianExpress report, 108 of India’s 173 coal-fired thermal plants have critically low levels of coal supply and that around 75% of the country’s power requirements come from coal-fired thermal plants with the Railways being the main transporter of the black gold. The report says further that many thermal plants dependent on imported coal have stopped generation of power due to increasing international prices of coal. Referring to experts the report sends a warning that this crisis could get even worse in the monsoon season as during that period coal transportation is negatively impacted by weather conditions and the thermal plants have very little buffer of coal at the moment.

 

The poor on the streets, the workers who have to come out every day for survival, the lower middle classes boxed in the congested society or chawl or slum flats/hutments of the urban areas and the farmers on the fields will have to bear the worst hits. Not to speak of the surging electricity bills combined with the ever-increasing prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. Their inhuman conditions are not at all helped by the unfortunate occurrences of even more heats of the third kind. In Maharashtra, the MNS leader Raj Thackeray is hitting only at the common people by creating a provocative environment involving the Hanuman Chalisa and the Azaan. In Karnataka, the heats are ever flowing: from the hijab dress-code to the halal-meat controversies; the Azaan loudspeakers; and then expanding the heat on to the Bible. Whatever must have happened in Punjab is also very unfortunate. The only pleasant surprise is coming from Uttar Pradesh with its Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, elected for his second term only recently, removing all the illegal loudspeakers and reducing the decibel-limits of the other ones from all places of worship, irrespective of religions.

 

When the citizens of the country are suffering from the relentless heat, obviously a result of the global warming, the governments should focus more on how to provide them with some much-needed relief rather than resorting to more and more load shedding and scoring political brownie points at the sole expense of the common struggling citizens. Even the IPL-2022 is being adversely affected by the heat with the batsmen running dehydrated and struggling to score totals of just about 150 or so. Only the advertisements or the commercials are very cool indeed, with everyone featuring in them dancing in wild celebration of what we know not.