• Down To Earth

How India is becoming more vulnerable to extreme weather

Extreme weather events like floods, heatwaves and cyclones are happening more frequently in India, with widespread negative impacts on health, development, and the economy. An annual report on the state of India's environment released last week by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based public interest research and advocacy organization, shows how the extreme weather affects large parts of India's population. The report showed that nearly 3,000 people died, 2 million hectares of crops were ruined, and 80,000 homes were destroyed in extreme weather-related events last year. It also showed that extreme weather events happened somewhere in India on 88% of days in 2024. CSE director Sunita Narain told DW that the latest report should be a wake-up call for policymakers. “This report is important and emphasizes the urgent need for stronger environmental governance, improved health care infrastructure, and ambitious climate policies to address these interconnected crises,” Narain said. Air pollution, heat and flooding Large Indian cities frequently experience the worst air quality levels of anywhere in the world. Since 2021, residents in 13 Indian cities, including Delhi, have breathed unsafe air one in every three days, according to the report. Life expectancy in Delhi is nearly eight years shorter due to air pollution, according to various studies. Even though the main summer months — from April to June — are always hot in India, temperatures have grown more extreme in the past decade. The intensity of rain and flooding has also increased. About 80% of India's population lives in regions that are considered vulnerable to disasters such as heat waves or severe flooding, the report said. “This report lays bare an uncomfortable truth. India is in the eye of a perfect storm where climate chaos, health crises, and development shortfalls are colliding,” Abinash Mohanty, head of climate change and sustainability at IPE Global, an international development organization, told DW. Mohanty said that the data found in the report corresponds with the key findings from IPE Global's study in 2024, which showed that 80% of districts in India are susceptible to extreme weather events. “This is more than a statistical alarm, it is a lived crisis unfolding in real time,” he said. Mohanty added that India's development model needs to be “radically reimagined” to adapt to hotter temperatures, biodiversity loss, and water emergencies.” “The consequences of inaction today will become irreversible realities tomorrow,” he said.

• Down To Earth

State of India’s Environment ranking: Chandigarh emerges on the top with 89.09 score

The annual report, compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in collaboration with Down To Earth magazine, assesses the performance of states and UTs across critical environmental and sustainable development indicators such as forest and biodiversity, climate, waste management, water resources, etc. Chandigarh’s high score is driven by significant achievements, including robust waste segregation and management systems; efficient urban mobility initiatives, including electric vehicle adoption and public transport upgrades; green cover expansion and biodiversity conservation, water conservation and sanitation, clean energy transition, with increasing reliance on solar power and green buildings The Union Territory of Chandigarh has emerged as the national leader in the “State of India’s Environment 2025” rankings, scoring an impressive 89.09 out of 100, far ahead of all other states and Union Territories (UT) across the country. The annual report, compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in collaboration with Down To Earth magazine, assesses the performance of states and UTs across critical environmental and sustainable development indicators such as forest and biodiversity, climate, waste management, water resources, etc. Chandigarh’s exemplary performance reflects its commitment to sustainability and smart urban planning. The UT’s high score is driven by significant achievements, including robust waste segregation and management systems; efficient urban mobility initiatives, including electric vehicle adoption and public transport upgrades; green cover expansion and biodiversity conservation, water conservation and sanitation, clean energy transition, with increasing reliance on solar power and green buildings. Saurabh Kumar, CCF Chandigarh and director, environment, Chandigarh administration, stated, “This recognition is a result of collective action by our administration, civic bodies, and the residents of Chandigarh. We are committed to building a model city for the rest of the nation to emulate—one that thrives sustainably while offering a high quality of life.”

• Down To Earth

Chandigarh tops State of India’s Environment 2025 rankings

The Union Territory of Chandigarh has emerged as national leader in the State of India’s Environment 2025 rankings, scoring an impressive 89.09 out of 100. The annual report, compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in collaboration with a magazine, assesses the performance of states and UTs across critical environmental and sustainable development indicators such as forest and biodiversity, climate, waste management, water resources, etc. Saurabh Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forest, and Director, Environment, Chandigarh, stated: “This recognition is a result of collective action by our Administration, civic bodies and most importantly, the residents of Chandigarh.”

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Dust, industrial & vehicle emissions top contributors to Faridabad air pollution

Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said such research is crucial for developing "effective strategies" to reduce pollution.

• Down To Earth

Climate change raising risk of farmer suicides

Extreme weather events across India last year affected 3.2 million hectares of cropland — an area bigger than Belgium — the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group said. On a small farm in India’s Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing that her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India’s 1.4 billion people. Mirabai Khindkar’s husband, Amol, was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm’s annual income, after the one hectare soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. “When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him,” 30-year-old Mirabai said, her voice breaking. Amol Khindkar died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai Khindkar and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Extreme weather events across India last year affected 3.2 million hectares of cropland — an area bigger than Belgium — the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group said. More than 60 percent of that was in Maharashtra. “Summers are extreme and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough,” Amol Khindkar’s brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar said. “There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn’t rain properly.” Between 2022 and last year, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, Indian Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. Government statistics do not specify what drove the farmers to kill themselves, but analysts point to several likely factors. “Farmer suicides in India are a consequence of the crisis of incomes, investment and productivity that you have in agriculture,” said R. Ramakumar, professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Farming across many Indian smallholdings is done largely as it has been for centuries and is highly dependent on the right weather at the correct time. “What climate change and its vulnerabilities and variabilities have done is to increase the risks in farming,” Ramakumar said. This “is leading to crop failures, uncertainties ... which is further weakening the economics of cultivation for small and marginal farmers,” he said. The government could support farmers with better insurance schemes to cope with extreme weather events, as well as investments in agricultural research, he added. “Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon,” Ramakumar said. Faced with uncertain weather, farmers often look to stem falling yields by investing in fertilizers or irrigation systems, but banks can be reluctant to offer credit to such uncertain borrowers. Some turn to loan sharks offering quick cash at exorbitant interest rates, risking catastrophe if crops fail. “It is difficult to make ends meet with just farming,” Mirabai Khindkar said, standing outside her home, a tin-roofed hut with patch-cloth walls. Her husband’s loans soared to more than US$8,000, a huge sum in India, where the average monthly income of a farming household is about US$120. Mirabai Khindkar works on other farms as a laborer, but could not pay back the debt. “The loan installments piled up,” she said, adding that she wants her children to find jobs outside of farming when they grow up. “Nothing comes out of the farm,” she said. The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades and while Maharashtra has some of the highest suicide rates, the problem is nationwide. Thirty people in the farming sector killed themselves every day in 2022, according to national crime records bureau statistics. At another farm in Marathwada, 32-year-old farmer Shaikh Imran took over the running of the family smallholding last year after his brother took his own life. He is already more than US$1,100 in debt after borrowing to plant soybean. The crop failed. Meanwhile, the pop of explosives echoes around as farmers blast wells, hoping to hit water. “There’s no water to drink,” family matriarch Khatijabi Imran said. “Where shall we get water to irrigate the farm?”

• Industrial Pollution

India's $80 billion coal-power boom is running short of water

Indian stations typically consume twice as much water as their global counterparts, according to the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment think-tank. April marks the start of the cruelest months for residents of Solapur, a hot and dry district in western India. As temperatures soar, water availability dwindles. In peak summer, the wait for taps to flow can stretch to a week or more. Just a decade ago, water flowed every other day, according to the local government and residents of Solapur, some 400 km inland from Mumbai. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here. Then in 2017, a 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power plant run by state-controlled NTPC (NTPC.NS), opens new tab began operations. It provided the district with energy - and competed with residents and businesses for water from a reservoir that serves the area. Solapur illustrates the Catch-22 facing India, which has 17% of the planet’s population but access to only 4% of its water resources. The world's most populous country plans to spend nearly $80 billion on water-hungry coal plants by 2031 to power growing industries like data center operations. The vast majority of these new projects are planned for India's driest areas, according to a power ministry document reviewed by Reuters, which is not public and was created for officials to track progress. Many of the 20 people interviewed by Reuters for this story, which included power company executives, energy officials and industry analysts, said the thermal expansion likely portended future conflict between industry and residents over limited water resources. Thirty-seven of the 44 new projects named in the undated power ministry shortlist of future operations are located in areas that the government classifies as either suffering from water scarcity or stress. NTPC, which says it draws 98.5% of its water from water-stressed areas, is involved in nine of them. NTPC said in response to Reuters' questions that it is "continuously striving towards conservation of water with best of our efforts in Solapur," including using methods like treating and reusing water. It did not answer queries about potential expansion plans. India's power ministry has told lawmakers in parliament, most recently in 2017, that the locations of coal-fired power plants are determined by factors including access to land and water and that state governments are responsible for allocating water to them. Access to land is the dominant consideration, two federal groundwater board officials and two water researchers told Reuters. India's complex and arcane land laws have delayed many commercial and infrastructure projects for years, so power operators under pressure to meet burgeoning demand pick areas where they are likely to face little resistance, said Rudrodip Majumdar, an energy and environment professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bengaluru. "They look for areas with easy land availability - minimum resistance for maximum land - even if water is available only far away," he said. The federal power ministry, as well as energy and water authorities in Maharashtra state, where Solapur is located, did not respond to queries. Delhi attempted to reduce its reliance on coal before reversing track after the COVID pandemic. It has invested heavily in renewable energy sources like solar and hydro, but thirsty thermal power will still be dominant for the coming decades. India's former top energy bureaucrat Ram Vinay Shahi said ready access to power was strategically important for the country, whose per-capita power consumption is far lower than its regional rival China. "The only energy resource we have in the country is coal," he said. "Between water and coal, preference is given to coal." 'NOTHING' IN SOLAPUR? Solapur resident Rajani Thoke plans her life around water in high summer. On days with supply, "I do not focus on anything other than storing water, washing clothes and such work," said the mother of two, who strictly polices her family’s water use. Sushilkumar Shinde, the federal power minister who approved the Solapur plant in 2008, when the area had already been classified "water scarce," told Reuters he helped NTPC procure the land by negotiating payments to locals. The member of the opposition Congress party, who won election to retain Solapur's parliamentary seat a year after the plant's approval, defended the operation on grounds of NTPC's sizable investment. The $1.34 billion plant generated thousands of jobs during its construction and now provides part-time employment to about 2,500 locals. "I made sure farmers got good money for the land NTPC acquired," he said, adding that mismanagement by local authorities was to blame for water shortages. Solapur municipal official Sachin Ombase acknowledged that water distribution infrastructure had not kept up with population growth, but said that authorities were trying to address the problem. Shinde said "there was nothing" in Solapur in 2008 and that residents who received land payments had no reason to oppose the plant. Researcher Shripad Dharmadhikary, who founded environment advocacy group Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, said local politicians often supported splashy infrastructure projects to boost their popularity. Any "problems come up much later," he said. Even before the Solapur plant started operating, there were signs of the trouble to come. The first of its two units was supposed to start generating power by the middle of 2016, but it was delayed by more than 12 months because of years of severe water shortages, according to a 2020 regulatory filing. The absence of nearby water resources meant the station ended up drawing on water from a reservoir about 120 km away. Such distances can sharply increase costs and the risk of water theft, said Dharmadhikary and two plant sources. As of May 2023, the station is among India's least water-efficient, according to the latest available federal records. It also has among the lowest capacity utilization rates of coal-fired plants, according to data from government think-tank NITI Aayog. NTPC said its data indicates the Solapur plant has an efficiency ratio in line with the country's norms. Indian stations typically consume twice as much water as their global counterparts, according to the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment think-tank. Solapur plant officials told reporters in March that capacity utilization will improve with increasing demand, indicating that water consumption could surge in the future. A forthcoming survey on water use in Solapur led by state groundwater authorities and reviewed by Reuters showed that irrigation demand in the district outstrips supply by a third. Dharmes Waghmore owns farmland a few miles from the plant and said that developing it would provide more financial security than his current casual work. But he said borrowing money to develop the land by drilling a bore well is too risky: "What if there's no water?" Kuladeep Jangam, a top local official, said authorities were struggling to draw businesses to Solapur. The lack of "water neutralizes all other pull factors," he said. THIRST FOR WATER Since 2014, India has lost 60.33 billion units of coal-power generation across the country - equivalent to 19 days of coal-power supply at June 2025 levels - because water shortages force plants to suspend generation, according to federal data. Among the facilities that have struggled with shortages is the 2,920 MW Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station, one of India's largest. Located about 500 km northeast of Solapur but also in a water-stressed area, the plant shuts several of its units for months at a time when the monsoon delivers less rain than usual, according to NITI Aayog data. Despite the challenges, the plant is considering adding 800 MW of new capacity, according to the power ministry list seen by Reuters and half a dozen sources at Mahagenco, which operates the station. The document indicates the plant hasn't identified a water source for the expansion, though it has already sourced its coal. State-owned Mahagenco did not respond to Reuters' questions. The plant's thirst for water has previously led to tensions with residents of nearby Chandrapur city. Locals protested the station during a 2017 drought, prompting officials such as local lawmaker Sudhir Mungantiwar to order it to divert water to homes. Mungantiwar, however, says he supports the expansion of the plant, which he hopes will lead to it retiring water-inefficient older units. But the station has already delayed a plan to decommission two polluting and water-guzzling power units with a capacity of 420 MW by about seven years, citing instructions from the federal government, the company sources said. The Indian government asked power companies not to retire old thermal plants until the end of the decade due to a surge in demand following the pandemic, Reuters has reported. Chandrapur resident Anjali, who goes by one name, said she is resigned to visiting a tap installed by the station near one of its gates for drinking water. "We’re poor, we make do with whatever we can get," she said.

• Down To Earth

Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides

Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium — according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Khadija Bi (R), whose son Shaikh Latif Sheru, a farmer who committed suicide due to mounting financial loans, sits under the shade of a tree along with her family members at their farmland in Mochi Pimpalgaon village of Beed district in India's Maharashtra state. — AFP On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 per cent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the three-acre (one-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium — according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group

• Down To Earth

देश में गरीबी घट रही है और इस पर दुनिया की नजर है

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) एक प्रसिद्ध पत्रिका डाउन टु अर्थ प्रकाशित करता है। इसने एक रिपोर्ट का हवाला दिया कि भारत में हर साल 17 लाख से ज्यादा लोगों की कुपोषण से मृत्यु हो जाती है। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि 71% भारतीय पौष्टिक भोजन नहीं खरीद सकते। क्या भारत में गरीबी दर घट रही है? और अगर ऐसा है, तो सरकार अभी भी 80 करोड़ से ज्यादा भारतीयों को मुफ्त अनाज क्यों दे रही है? पहले सवाल का जवाब है- हां, भारत में गरीबी दर वाकई घट रही है, और पहले से कहीं ज्यादा तेजी से। आरबीआई के पूर्व गवर्नर सी. रंगराजन की अध्यक्षता वाली समिति की नई रिपोर्ट के अनुसार गरीबी दर 2011-12 में 29.5% थी, जो 2023-24 में घटकर 4.9% हो गई है। यह एक असाधारण गिरावट है। रंगराजन कहते हैं गिरावट की दर पिछले 12 साल की अवधि में 2.02% प्रति वर्ष रही है। तब सवाल उठता है कि अगर पिछले 12 सालों में गरीबी में इतनी नाटकीय गिरावट आई है, तो सरकार प्रधानमंत्री गरीब कल्याण अन्न योजना के तहत 806.7 मिलियन भारतीयों को मुफ्त अनाज क्यों दे रही है? इसका जवाब आंशिक रूप से राजनीतिक और आंशिक रूप से वैज्ञानिक है। मुफ्त खाद्यान्न योजना को गरीबों के वोटों के लिए शुरू किया गया था, लेकिन यह पोषण संबंधी सप्लीमेंट के लिए भी थी। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) एक प्रसिद्ध पत्रिका डाउन टु अर्थ प्रकाशित करता है। इसने एक रिपोर्ट का हवाला दिया कि भारत में हर साल 17 लाख से ज्यादा लोगों की कुपोषण से मृत्यु हो जाती है। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि 71% भारतीय पौष्टिक भोजन नहीं खरीद सकते। हालांकि गरीबी दर गिरकर 4.9% हो गई है, लेकिन पोषण एक गंभीर चिंता का विषय बना हुआ है। गरीब भारतीयों का एक बड़ा हिस्सा पौष्टिक आहार नहीं खरीद सकता। इसलिए मुफ्त खाद्यान्न सहायता दी जाती है। बचे हुए पैसों को ज्यादा पौष्टिक भोजन पर लगाया जा सकता है। जैसा कि विदेश मंत्री एस. जयशंकर ने अमेरिकी सेनेटर एलिसा स्लोटकिन से कहा- सेनेटर, आपने कहा कि लोकतंत्र आपकी मेज पर भोजन नहीं लाता। वास्तव में, दुनिया के जिस हिस्से में मैं रहता हूं, वहां ऐसा होता है। आज चूंकि हम एक लोकतांत्रिक समाज हैं, इसलिए हम 800 मिलियन से ज्यादा लोगों को पोषण-सहायता और भोजन देते हैं। विश्व बैंक ने भी भारतीय गरीबी में गिरावट की पुष्टि की है। इंडियन एक्सप्रेस में लिखते हुए सी. रंगराजन और एस. महेंद्र देव (प्रधानमंत्री की आर्थिक सलाहकार परिषद के अध्यक्ष) ने बताया कि विश्व बैंक ने हाल ही में 100 से अधिक विकासशील देशों के लिए गरीबी और समानता संबंधी संक्षिप्त रिपोर्ट जारी की है। इसमें कहा गया है कि भारत ने पिछले दशक में गरीबी में उल्लेखनीय कमी की है। अत्यधिक गरीबी (क्रय शक्ति समता के संदर्भ में प्रतिदिन 2.15 डॉलर से कम पर जीवन यापन करना) 2011-12 में 16.2% से घटकर 2022-23 में 2.3% हो गई। इस अवधि में 17 करोड़ से अधिक लोग अत्यधिक गरीबी की स्थिति से ऊपर उठ गए। निम्न-मध्यम आय वाले देशों के लिए गरीबी रेखा के मानदंड से नीचे के लोगों की संख्या (प्रतिदिन 3.65 डॉलर) 61.8% से घटकर 28.1% हो गई। यदि गरीबी को परिभाषित करने के लिए घरेलू आय का कट-ऑफ स्तर बढ़ा दिया जाए, तो गरीबी दर तेजी से बढ़कर 28.1% हो जाती है। यह लगभग 50 करोड़ भारतीयों का जनसांख्यिकीय समूह है, जिसे पोषण संबंधी सहायता की आवश्यकता है। प्रधानमंत्री गरीब कल्याण अन्न योजना के अंतर्गत अतिरिक्त 30 करोड़ और लोगों को शामिल किया गया है, ताकि स्पष्ट चुनावी लाभ के साथ व्यापक जनसांख्यिकीय समूह तक भी पहुंचा जा सके। भारत में गरीबी के निरंतर प्रसार के बावजूद गरीबी रेखा से नीचे रहने वाले लोगों की संख्या में कमी देखी जा सकती है। 1947 में स्वतंत्रता के बाद से भारत में अकाल नहीं पड़ा है। जबकि ब्रिटिश औपनिवेशिक शासन के 190 वर्षों के दौरान 31 बड़े अकाल पड़े थे, जिनमें से आखिरी 1943 का बंगाल अकाल था। उसमें 30 लाख लोग मारे गए थे। रंगराजन गरीबी दर में गिरावट को जीडीपी में वृद्धि से सही ढंग से जोड़ते हैं। वे लिखते हैं कि गरीबी का निर्धारण जीडीपी वृद्धि, कीमतों और सेफ्टी नेट जैसे फैक्टर्स से होता है। जीडीपी वृद्धि 2022-23 में 7.6% से बढ़कर 2023-24 में 9.2% हो गई, यानी एक वर्ष में 1.6% की वृद्धि। उपभोक्ता मूल्य सूचकांक (सीपीआई) 2022-23 में 6.7% से घटकर 2023-24 में 5.4% हो गया यानी 1.3% अंकों की गिरावट। हालांकि इसी अवधि के दौरान खाद्य मुद्रास्फीति 6.6% से बढ़कर 7.5% हो गई है। ऐसे में लगता नहीं कि अगले चरण में कल्याणकारी कार्यक्रमों में कोई महत्वपूर्ण बदलाव होगा। भारत की कम प्रति व्यक्ति आय (2,900 डॉलर) की ओर इशारा किया जाता है। पर इसकी सही माप क्रय शक्ति समता पर आधारित है। मुंबई में 500 रु. में हवाई अड्डे से शहर तक पहुंचा जा सकता है, टोक्यो में 5,000 रु. लगते हैं। (ये लेखक के अपने विचार हैं।)

• Down To Earth

Climate crisis pushes Indian farmers to brink of suicide

Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland – an area bigger than Belgium – according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45% of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband, Amol, was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the 3-acre (1-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland – an area bigger than Belgium – according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60% of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly." Increase risks Between 2022 and 2024, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, according to India's Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Government statistics do not specify what drove the farmers to kill themselves, but analysts point to several likely factors. "Farmer suicides in India are a consequence of the crisis of incomes, investment and productivity that you have in agriculture," said R. Ramakumar, professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Farming across many Indian smallholdings is done largely as it has been for centuries and is highly dependent on the right weather at the correct time. "What climate change and its vulnerabilities and variabilities have done is to increase the risks in farming," Ramakumar said. This "leads to crop failures, uncertainties ... which is further weakening the economics of cultivation for small and marginal farmers." The government could support farmers with better insurance schemes to cope with extreme weather events, as well as investments in agricultural research, Ramakumar said. "Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon." Make ends meet Faced with uncertain weather, farmers often look to stem falling yields by investing in fertilisers or irrigation systems. But banks can be reluctant to offer credit to such uncertain borrowers. Some turn to loan sharks offering quick cash at exorbitant interest rates, and risking catastrophe if crops fail. "It is difficult to make ends meet with just farming," Mirabai said, standing outside her home, a tin-roofed hut with patch-cloth walls. Her husband's loans soared to over $8,000, a huge sum in India, where the average monthly income of a farming household is around $120. Mirabai works on other farms as a laborer but cannot pay back the debt. "The loan instalments piled up," she said, adding that she wants her children to find jobs outside of farming when they grow up. "Nothing comes out of the farm." The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades. And while Maharashtra has some of the highest suicide rates, the problem is nationwide. Thirty people in the farming sector killed themselves every day in 2022, according to the National Crime Records Bureau statistics. At another farm in Marathwada, 32-year-old farmer Shaikh Imran took over the running of the family smallholding last year after his brother took his own life. He is already more than $1,100 in debt after borrowing to plant soybeans. The crop failed. Meanwhile, the pop of explosives echoes around as farmers blast wells, hoping to hit water. "There's no water to drink," said family matriarch Khatijabi. "Where shall we get water to irrigate the farm?"

• Down To Earth

Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides

Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. India: On a small farm in India’s Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure.Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India’s 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai’s husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm’s annual income, after the three-acre (one-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year.“When he was in the hospital, I prayed for him,” said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking.Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 percent of that was in Maharashtra.“Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough,” said Amol’s brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar.

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India records hottest year since 1901: 88% of 2024 marked extreme weather, 5 million displaced—will 2025 be worse?

On June 4, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Down To Earth (DTE) magazine published their annual compendium of information and statistics, titled "State of India's Environment in Figures 2025," India has recorded 2024 as its hottest year since 1901, according to official records. This achievement is accompanied by a chain of environmental and human crises. Extreme weather events occurred on 88 percent of the country's days last year, resulting in displacements that reached an estimated 5.4 million people. Nearly half of these came from Assam, mainly due to climate change disasters, as concluded by an extensive annual report. On June 4, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Down To Earth (DTE) magazine published their annual compendium of information and statistics, titled "State of India's Environment in Figures 2025," which reported a worrisome situation of environmental health and development in India. The report, published on the eve of World Environment Day, is a data-based examination of some of the biggest environmental issues. India's summer weather is in the headlines again—but this time, not necessarily a story of unremitting heat. Following the record-setting, deadly heatwaves of 2024, 2025 brought its own new kind of uncertainty, with rapid flashes between preceding severe heat and unanticipated cool snaps, raising legitimate concern about climate resilience, public health, and the future of Indian summers. 2024: An unprecedented year of heat and human loss Last year established a dire benchmark: according to the report, 2024 became officially India's hottest year ever. Churu in Rajasthan recorded 50.5°C, while Mungeshpur and Najafgarh in Delhi reached a scorching 53°C. At least 37 cities had temperatures above 45°C, and the nation faced its longest heatwave since 2010. The effects were dire: More than 44,000 heatstroke cases and over 700 heat-related fatalities were recorded from March to June. 5.4 million individuals were displaced internally, almost half of them from Assam, when devastating weather events hit on 88% of days. Agriculture, water resources, and power systems were strained to the limit, while public health systems were overwhelmed. 2025: early heat warnings, then an abrupt change This year started on a worrying note: by March 2025, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had already sounded heatwave warnings over North India, with Delhi and other urban centers registering March temperatures close to 40°C—levels normally observed during peak summer. April witnessed another spurt, with some areas of Rajasthan recording 45.6°C and Delhi reaching 40.2°C. Scientific data indicate that this April's heatwaves were by as much as 4°C hotter than the corresponding events of the late 20th century, an unmistakable indicator of climate change's strengthening hold. But just as the country braced for another brutal summer, weather patterns shifted. Unseasonal rains and thunderstorms swept in, cooling many regions and cutting short what would typically be the hottest part of the year. Meteorologists attribute this to changes in atmospheric circulation, which not only delayed the peak heat but also set the stage for a potentially wetter-than-normal monsoon. The science and the stakes Through the interim relief, the long-term trend is unmistakable: summers in India are getting hotter, longer, and more unpredictable. The heat island effect of urban areas—where the concentrated cityscape traps and magnifies heat—remains to render Indian cities particularly susceptible. Even nighttime temperatures are on the rise, providing little relief for millions, especially the urban poor who have no access to air conditioning and parks. The economic and health risks are huge. According to the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), heat stress has the potential to lose India 35 million full-time jobs and 4.5% of GDP by 2030 if present trends hold. At-risk populations—children, the elderly, and workers—continue to be at increased risk, and pressure on agriculture and water can exacerbate food and water insecurity. Ahead to the future: changing to a new normal This year's forecastable summer is a stark reminder that climate extremes are fast becoming the new normal for India. The IMD predicts longer heatwaves and more frequent floods in the coming months, even as some parts receive temporary cool spells. Experts warn that India should not be lulled into complacency by a single warmer season. Rather, the experiences of 2024 and shocks of 2025 must lead to immediate investment in strong heat action plans, early warning systems, green city initiatives, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Altogether, India is in a flux of climate. Last year's record-breaking heat made health crises and displacement; this year's erratic weather offers only a short respite. As the country faces a future of more frequent and extreme weather events, proactive adaptation and resilient planning are already essential in protecting lives, livelihoods, and the nation's economic stability.

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How India is becoming more vulnerable to extreme weather

Extreme weather events like floods, heatwaves and cyclones are happening more frequently in India, with widespread negative impacts on health, development, and the economy. An annual report on the state of India's environment released last week by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based public interest research and advocacy organization, shows how the extreme weather affects large parts of India's population. The report showed that nearly 3,000 people died, 2 million hectares of crops were ruined, and 80,000 homes were destroyed in extreme weather-related events last year. It also showed that extreme weather events happened somewhere in India on 88% of days in 2024. CSE director Sunita Narain told DW that the latest report should be a wake-up call for policymakers. "This report is important and emphasizes the urgent need for stronger environmental governance, improved health care infrastructure, and ambitious climate policies to address these interconnected crises," Narain said.

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Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides

On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the three-acre (one-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 percent of that was in Maharashtra.

• Down To Earth

Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides

Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the three-acre (one-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 percent of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly."

• Down To Earth

Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides

Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the three-acre (one-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 percent of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly."

• Down To Earth

Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides

Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the three-acre (one-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 percent of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly." 'Increase the risks' Between 2022 and 2024, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, according to India's Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan.