To add to its water woes, Bengaluru is now reeling under record-breaking high temperatures, pushing residents to change their daily schedules and wonder how life in the IT hub has changed over the past decade.
Over the past few days, daytime temperatures in the city have gone up to 38 degrees Celsius and are inching close to its highest-ever recorded April temperature – 39.2 degrees in 2016. The current temperatures are at least three degrees more than what Bengaluru experiences in April.
Pointing to the reasons behind the mercury climbing, weather scientist Dr N Puviarasan said Bengaluru received less rainfall from the North-east monsoon last year. “There was no rain in Bengaluru in the winter either, mainly due to climate change and El Nino conditions,” he said. An El Nino effect is linked to weaker monsoon winds and less rainfall.
Dr Puviarasan, who is working with the India Meteorological Department, also pointed to how rapid urbanisation was also linked to the high temperatures in the city.
The residents, meanwhile, have been forced to change their routines to escape the heat. “It has changed my entire routine. I used to go for walks after lunch. Now it’s so horrible, I cannot even step out of office. Sitting in the AC is the only option,” a resident said. “When I moved here 10 years ago, it was a completely different story. We never faced this kind of weather.”
Another resident said she was constantly hydrating herself to stay fit amid the heat. “We are also experiencing a huge water problem in Bengaluru.”
The city is also witnessing warmer nights, a change from the pleasant evenings residents are used to. Minimum temperatures are touching new highs, with the city recording 23 degrees Celsius yesterday – higher than Delhi and Gurugram.
The IT hub is now hoping for summer showers, expected around April 14, to bring some relief from the sweltering heat.
The heat wave in Bengaluru, known for its comfortable weather, comes as a double blow amid its water crisis. An NDTV ground report last month found that residents have been forced to cut down on showers and cooking because of water scarcity in their neighbourhoods.
Some of them pointed to how reckless implementation of development projects had led to the situation.
“The focus has been on building apartments and roads, but we need to work on the groundwater level. It has never been done,” a resident said.
