Heatwave Kills Many In Bihar - 'How Many' Is Not Known

Vicky Choudhary, their father, got some medicines from the nearby shop, but the pills did not work. 바카라�We thought we would be able to deal with it at home, but their condition went from bad to worse,바카라� says Rakesh Choudhary, the uncle of the girls. 

The next morning, at 4 AM, the family had to rush the girls to a government hospital. But by the time they reached, Rakhi passed away. Ruchi was admitted and her treatment started. When she started recovering, the family got her admitted to a private hospital as a precautionary measure. 

The family performed the last rites of Rakhi, but no post-mortem was conducted. 바카라�That day, it was very hot and Rakhi had just returned from the orchard. We assumed she had fallen sick due to the severe heat. Even the doctor at the private hospital where Ruchi was admitted said she had taken ill due to heat stroke,바카라� says their uncle Rakesh. 

In the absence of a post-mortem report, Rakhi바카라�s name would not make it to the list of people who have succumbed to heatwave in Bihar in the past few days. The official figure stands at just nine. However, the unofficial numbers say more than 40 people have died so far. Hundreds are undergoing treatment at various hospitals. Choudhary, the father of Rakhi and Ruchi, works as a daily wage earner and he now has to give away a portion of his land on mortgage to foot the private hospital bill.   

Severe heatwave in the North 

On the day Rakhi died, mercury was hovering at 44.5 degrees Celsius in Bhojpur바카라�eight degrees above normal. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning regarding the 바카라�severe heat wave바카라� and urged people to stay indoors to avoid exposure to the extreme heat that could lead to heat stroke. 

In fact, on June 17, 18 districts of Bihar were reeling under a 바카라�severe heat wave바카라� and four under a 바카라�heat wave바카라�. As per the IMD figures, the temperature was 6-9 degrees above normal. 

The state has been dealing with severe heatwave conditions since the first week of June. On June 1, the temperature recorded was 41.3 degree Celsius, 4.6 degrees above normal.  On June 4, the Patna centre of IMD issued a press release which said: 바카라�According to the analysis of the numerical model of the IMD, there is a possibility of an increase of 2-3 degree Celsius in the temperature in the state from June 4 to June 11.바카라� Since then, most parts of the state, especially south and central Bihar, have been reeling under severe heat waves. 

Effect of cyclone Biparjoy 

According to weather department officials, in the past decade, this is the first time that the state is dealing with such a prolonged period of heatwave. Experts attribute the severe heat wave condition to westerly wind and cyclone Biparjoy.

Professor (Dr) Pradhan Parth Sarthi, who is Meteorologist and Dean, School of Earth, Biological and Environmental Sciences at the Central University of South Bihar, says: "North India is experiencing a heat wave because of westerly wind which is currently very strong and dry. This is leading to clouds not being formed as a result of which the sun's radiation is directly reaching the earth바카라�s surface causing an increase in surface temperature.바카라� 

The condition is likely to be the same or may worsen until easterly wind, which flows from the Bay of Bengal to Bihar becomes active, brings moisture, and leads to cloud formation, he adds. 

According to him, cyclone Biparjoy, which made landfall on June 16 near the Gujarat-Pakistan border is the main culprit of the prolonged heatwave conditions in North India, including Bihar. 

Cyclone Biparjoy originated in the Arabian Sea where cyclonic circulation is a rare occurrence unlike in the Bay of Bengal. 

바카라�Normally, there is a duration of five-six days between a cyclone바카라�s formation and landfall but in the case of Biparjoy, there was a time gap of around 10 days which helped westerly wind to stay strong in the northern part of India for a longer time,바카라� says Parth Sarthi.          

According to him, there is an indirect link between heatwaves and climate change. 바카라�The Arabian Sea is getting warmer due to climate change and this warming has resulted in cyclone Biporjoy which has contributed to the prevailing heat wave condition,바카라� he says.

Recurring Heat Waves   

Severe heatwave had created a havoc in Bihar in 2019 as well. That year, the condition was so severe that for the first time in the history, the Bihar government had to impose Section 144 to prohibit people from stepping out between 11 AM and 4 PM. In 2019, as per the official numbers, 142 people had died due to heat stroke in just one week. Though, the local newspapers claimed that more than 300 had died. 

This year too, the heatwave has been brutal and people have been thronging to clinics and jhola chhap doctors (quacks) for treatments. In Bihar, many people prefer going to a jhola chhap doctors and they are very popular. 

Rakesh Ranjan, a jhola chhap doctor from Dhaka in East Champaran, says: 바카라�Almost every day people are coming to us complaining of heat stroke symptoms. Based on the training given to us by the government, we first check the patient's blood pressure and then the body temperature. If the condition is not serious, we give ORS and other medicines. If the case is serious, we refer them to government hospitals.바카라�

The hospitals in the state are gearing up too. 바카라�We have treated 20 patients suffering from heatwave in the last 10 days. We have kept 10 beds in the government hospitals for heat wave patients,바카라� says KN Tiwari, a civil surgeon based in Rohtas district.

Data discrepancy 

The disparity in official and unofficial numbers of deaths due to heat stroke is proving to be detrimental to tackling the issue at hand. 

According to the experts, the state government바카라�s data collection is very poor and the surveillance system is fragile. That is why many deaths due to the prevailing heat wave have gone unreported and these deaths are not taken into consideration while counting the official numbers. 

Currently, there is a team of three health officials in every district to monitor heat stroke-related deaths. While explaining how it is determined if a person has died due to heat stroke, a district-level doctor says on condition of anonymity: 바카라�If a person is admitted to a government hospital with heat stroke-like symptoms and dies, then we take into consideration some symptoms like headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and vomiting and then conclude that the person has died due to heat stroke.바카라�  

Another doctor from the health department says that apart from these three crucial factors, the medical history of the patient is also taken into consideration. 바카라�We do ask the patients questions like for how long they were exposed to heat,바카라� he says.

Ironically, all these symptoms can be assessed only if patients are admitted to government hospitals. So there remains ample scope for underreporting as deaths at private hospitals and homes are not taken into consideration.

Dr Sunil Kumar, state secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bihar chapter, says that the data collection system in Bihar is in extremely poor condition. 

바카라�There is no system of collection of (heat stroke-related death) data from private hospitals. Most people are not well informed and they try to treat such patients at home rather than bringing them to government hospitals. When patients die, families perform the last rites without bothering about getting a post-mortem done,바카라� he says.

He believes that in the case of heat stroke, data is hugely underreported. 바카라�I think, the actual death numbers are higher than the official data,바카라� says Dr Kumar.

Another way of identifying the cause of death is a forensic investigation of the viscera of the dead person, but it is time-consuming and the health department does not conduct a post-mortem to identify the cause of death in heat stroke cases. 

A senior doctor with the Bihar health department, who is a part of the team that conducts post-mortem, informs: 바카라�A simple post-mortem report does not confirm heat-stroke related death. For this, examination of viscera is necessary.바카라� 

He adds: 바카라�In serious cases, the viscera is preserved at the time of post-mortem and sent to the forensic lab. If the death is due to heat stroke, then the viscera test report shows that some body organs were dehydrated. However, it takes two-three months for the forensics reports to arrive.바카라�

Impact on livelihood 

The severe heatwave is not only claiming lives but is also affecting the livelihood of the poor daily wage earners.

At 11 AM, Raju Paswan, 45, a lanky rickshaw-puller from rural Patna, was taking his last passenger of the day to Patna Medical College and Hospital from Kargil Chowk. His thin light blue shirt was soaked in sweat and was sticking to his body. He had covered his head with a saffron gamcha to protect himself from the sun. A big bottle of water was kept beneath his seat. 

바카라�Bhari loo gir raha hai lekin bahar nahi niklenge to kamayenge kaise?바카라� he asks. (There is a severe heatwave, but if we won바카라�t step out, how will we earn) 

For the last two weeks, he has changed the time of rickshaw-pulling. Earlier, he would work the whole day, but now he works in shifts바카라�from 6 AM to 11 AM and from 5 PM to 9 PM. This change in schedule has halved his income. 바카라�Earlier, I used to earn Rs 500-600, but now I hardly earn Rs 200-300. But there is no option. I have to take care of my health as well,바카라� says Paswan who lives with his wife, two daughters and a son. 

To beat the heat, he drinks boiled mango sharbat every morning and covers his head with a gamcha when he steps out. He drinks a lot of water to keep himself hydrated. 

Like Raju, e-rickshaw driver Sunil Paswan바카라�s income has halved바카라�from Rs 1,000 a day earlier, to Rs 400-500 now. 

바카라�I don바카라�t drive in the afternoon these days. Not operating the e-rickshaw for five-six hours has led to reduced income, but there is no option,바카라� he says.

Pawan, who has two children studying in a government school, lives in a jhuggi with his family. 바카라�The government says that they have made provisions for drinking water on roadsides, but you will not find these on Bailey Road. The government claims that they are doing a lot for the poor, but in reality, nothing is being done.바카라� 

In March this year, the state바카라�s Disaster Management Department issued several guidelines in view of the forecast of severe heatwave, which included making drinking water available in public places, keeping a stock of medicines at workplaces, temporary day shelters for workers, adequate supply of ORS and life-saving drugs in government hospitals and health centers, and flexibility in working hours of construction workers.

But, disappointingly, no provision has been made for providing compensation to thousands like Paswans who are not able to earn enough due to the heat wave.

Raju Paswan, however, is not expecting anything from the government. 바카라�Gareeb ko dekhne wala koi nahi hai. Sarkar uski hi madad karti hai jiska pairvi hai,바카라� he says. (There is no one to help us. The government helps only those who are well-connected).