Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​High heat: On India and warming

​High heat: On India and warming

India must address (समाधान करना, निपटना) the underlying (मूलभूत, अंतर्निहित) vulnerability (संवेदनशीलता, कमजोरी, असुरक्षा) to hot weather (गर्म मौसम, उष्ण मौसम)

India’s summers are known to be hot (गर्म, तप्त, उष्ण), but this year the high heat (अत्यधिक गर्मी, भीषण गर्मी) has arrived noticeably (स्पष्ट रूप से, साफ़ तौर पर) early. The India Meteorological Department (भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग) has sounded heat alerts (गर्मी की चेतावनी, हीट अलर्ट) in central and south India, including in Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Kerala. Parts of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have also scaled the 40°C mark, with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka not far behind. Local conditions (स्थिति, अवस्था) in coastal (तटीय, समुद्री किनारे का) areas, in particular (विशेष रूप से), could be worse due to (के कारण) humidity (आर्द्रता, नमी) and the urban heat island effect. Warmer nights also delay physiological recovery, increasing the local health-care burden (the impact of health problems and conditions on a health system, including financial costs and strain on medical resources;, healthcare strain, clinical pressure, public health demand). Such temperatures are usually encountered (face, confront, experience, meet) in May-June but have become apparent (clearly visible or understood; obvious, evident, clear, noticeable) in April. While pre-monsoon (relating to the period immediately before the onset of the monsoon rains, typically characterized by high temperatures) heatwaves are common in India, they are becoming larger and more intense (of extreme force, degree, or strength; extreme, severe, fierce, harsh). This year, a lack (absence, deficiency, shortage, scarcity) of western disturbances and thunderstorms (a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail; downpour), along with (together with, accompanied by, coupled with, alongside) lower convective activity (the vertical transfer of heat and moisture in the atmosphere, often leading to the formation of clouds and thunderstorms that provide natural cooling; atmospheric convection, thermal updrafts, cloud formation), has also done away with natural cooling (the process of reducing temperature through environmental means, such as rain, thunderstorms, or wind; weather-induced relief, natural temperature regulation, organic heat reduction), with residual (lingering, remaining, enduring, leftover) effects of the previous El Niño (a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which generally weakens monsoon rainfall in India) adding to the heat (high temperature or a hot environmental condition; warmth, hotness, thermal stress, high temperature). Persistently high heat is linked to a significantly higher risk of death from cardiovascular (relating to the heart and blood vessels; cardiac, vascular, heart-related) causes. Some 247 billion work-hours were lost in 2024 to heat, according to The Lancet (a highly reputed, weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal that publishes original research, review articles, and global health reports) Countdown Global Report (an annual flagship report by The Lancet Tracking progress on health and climate change, assessing the health impacts of climate change and the health benefits of climate action), with workers in construction and agriculture the most affected. Heat stress is an ongoing (continuous, persisting, constant, unending) concern for farmers during the rabi harvest. Hot weather accelerates (speed up, hasten, expedite, advance) crop maturity, threatening food security (the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food; food availability, stable food supply, dependable sustenance) and feeding inflationary pressure.

Experts have complained that most heat action plans (HAPs) (comprehensive, localized policy frameworks and preparation strategies designed by governments to mitigate the destructive impacts of extreme heatwaves on public health and the economy) — India’s primary institutional response to heat — focus on emergency response and lack funds for structural (systemic, fundamental, organizational, infrastructural) interventions (involvement, mediation, step, measure) such as urban re-greening (the process of planting trees, restoring vegetation, and expanding green spaces in city environments to counteract the urban heat island effect; city afforestation, urban landscaping, green infrastructure development) and mandatory (required by law or rules; compulsory, obligatory, binding, essential) heat-safety legislation (laws, considered collectively; rules, regulations, acts, statutes) for workers in the informal sector (the sector which encompasses all jobs with normal hours and regular wages, recognized as income sources on which income taxes must be paid; organized sector, regulated economy, registered employment). They have thus (as a result or consequence of this; therefore, consequently, hence, accordingly) failed to address (tackle, confront, manage, focus on) underlying vulnerabilities. On April 23, in the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal polls, and Gujarat and Maharashtra by-elections, lakhs of electors (voter, constituent, ballot-caster, enfranchised citizen) had to brave (endure or face unpleasant conditions; endure, face, withstand, confront) the heat. Concerns about voter turnout in the heat prompted (trigger, induce, cause, motivate) the Election Commission of India to keep polling booths open longer during the 2024 general election; such reactive (responsive, reflex, subsequent) measures alone will not suffice (be enough or adequate; be sufficient, do, serve, meet requirements) this year. If warming (तापवृद्धि, गर्माहट में वृद्धि) continues along current trajectories, more than a few parts of India will begin approaching human survivability limits (the maximum threshold of environmental extremes beyond which the human body can no longer regulate its internal temperature and survive; critical biological threshold, lethal heat index, physiological breaking point). HAPs desperately need sufficient, long-term funding while public systems must roll out (officially launch, introduce, unveil, implement) mobile health units and doorstep delivery of essential services during peak heat to reduce the income penalties that deter (discourage, dissuade, prevent, stop) access. Colombia has convened a coalition (alliance, union, partnership, bloc) of roughly 50 countries to explore a faster transition (change, shift, conversion, transformation) away from fossil fuels (a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms; hydrocarbon fuel, non-renewable energy source, combustible fossil, carbon-based fuel) in a parallel ‘climate conference (a formal gathering of representatives from various countries or organizations to discuss, negotiate, and establish policies to combat climate change; environmental summit, global warming convention, climate summit)’. India should join it, not least because of the greater access to climate adaptation finance it could afford (could provide, supply, or offer a particular opportunity or advantage; provide, supply, yield, offer).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.high heat (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अत्यधिक गर्मी, भीषण गर्मी
English Meaning - extreme or elevated temperature; extreme heat, scorching heat, severe warmth, intense heat.

2.warming (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तापवृद्धि, गर्माहट में वृद्धि
English Meaning - an increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere; climate change, global warming, temperature rise, heating up.

3.address (verb)

Hindi Meaning - समाधान करना, निपटना
English Meaning - tackle, deal with, handle, attend to.

4.underlying (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मूलभूत, अंतर्निहित
English Meaning - basic and fundamental but not explicitly apparent; deep-rooted, hidden, basal, primary.

5.vulnerability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संवेदनशीलता, कमजोरी, असुरक्षा
English Meaning - the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed; susceptibility, weakness, defenselessness, frailty.

6.hot weather (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गर्म मौसम, उष्ण मौसम
English Meaning - a period of uncomfortably high temperatures; heat, swelter, hotness, summery weather.

7.hot (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गर्म, तप्त, उष्ण
English Meaning - having a high degree of heat or a high temperature; boiling, scorching, blistering, sizzling.

8.noticeably (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट रूप से, साफ़ तौर पर
English Meaning - in a way that is easily seen or noticed; visibly, clearly, distinctly, evidently.

9.India Meteorological Department (IMD) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग
English Meaning - the principal government agency under the Ministry of Earth Sciences responsible for weather forecasting, meteorological observations, and seismology.

10.heat alert (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गर्मी की चेतावनी, हीट अलर्ट
English Meaning - a warning issued by meteorological agencies indicating that a period of unusually hot weather is expected; heat warning, extreme temperature advisory, weather alert, heat advisory.

11.condition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्थिति, अवस्था
English Meaning - the state of affairs or circumstances; situation, state, circumstances, environment.

12.coastal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तटीय, समुद्री किनारे का
English Meaning - related to or located near a coast or seaside; seaside, beachfront, shore, maritime.

13.in particular (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - विशेष रूप से
English Meaning - especially or specifically; specially, particularly, notably, explicitly.

14.due to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के कारण
English Meaning - because of, owing to, as a result of, on account of.

15.humidity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आर्द्रता, नमी
English Meaning - the amount of water vapour in the air; dampness, moisture, mugginess, clamminess.

16.sound (verb)

English Meaning - announce, declare, issue, proclaim.

17.scale (verb)

English Meaning - to reach a particular high level or mark; climb, reach, achieve, attain.

18.Vidarbha (noun)

English Meaning - a geographical region in the eastern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra, historically known for experiencing severe heatwaves and agrarian distress.

19.far behind (phrase)

English Meaning - trailing or lagging at a distance; lagging, trailing behind, following, delayed.

20.urban heat island effect (noun)

English Meaning - a phenomenon where urban and metropolitan areas experience significantly higher temperatures than their surrounding rural areas due to human activities, dense buildings, and lack of vegetation.

21.physiological recovery (noun)

English Meaning - the process by which the human body returns to its normal biological and physical state after being subjected to environmental stress, such as extreme heat; bodily recovery, physical restoration, biological recuperation.

22.health-care burden (noun)

English Meaning - the impact of health problems and conditions on a health system, including financial costs and strain on medical resources;, healthcare strain, clinical pressure, public health demand.

23.burden (noun)

English Meaning - a heavy load or a difficult responsibility; strain, pressure, load, hardship.

24.encounter (verb)

English Meaning - face, confront, experience, meet.

25.apparent (adjective)

English Meaning - clearly visible or understood; obvious, evident, clear, noticeable.

26.pre-monsoon (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the period immediately before the onset of the monsoon rains, typically characterized by high temperatures.

27.heatwave (noun)

English Meaning - a prolonged period of abnormally hot weather; hot spell, scorcher, warm spell, heat flush.

28.intense (adjective)

English Meaning - of extreme force, degree, or strength; extreme, severe, fierce, harsh.

29.lack (noun)

English Meaning - absence, deficiency, shortage, scarcity.

30.western disturbance (noun)

English Meaning - an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain or weather disruptions to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent; extratropical storm, Mediterranean weather system.

31.thunderstorm (noun)

English Meaning - a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail; downpour.

32.along with (phrase)

English Meaning - together with, accompanied by, coupled with, alongside.

33.convective activity (noun)

English Meaning - the vertical transfer of heat and moisture in the atmosphere, often leading to the formation of clouds and thunderstorms that provide natural cooling; atmospheric convection, thermal updrafts, cloud formation.

34.do away with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - put an end to, remove, or abolish; eliminate, discard, cancel, eradicate.

35.natural cooling (noun)

English Meaning - the process of reducing temperature through environmental means, such as rain, thunderstorms, or wind; weather-induced relief, natural temperature regulation, organic heat reduction.

36.residual (adjective)

English Meaning - lingering, remaining, enduring, leftover.

37.El Nino (noun)

English Meaning - a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which generally weakens monsoon rainfall in India.

38.La Niña (noun)

English Meaning - a climate pattern characterized by the unusual cooling of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, typically associated with stronger and above-normal monsoon rainfall in India.

39.add to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - increase, magnify, exacerbate, compound.

40.the heat (noun)

English Meaning - high temperature or a hot environmental condition; warmth, hotness, thermal stress, high temperature.

41.persistently (adverb)

English Meaning - continuously, relentlessly, endlessly, steadily.

42.cardiovascular (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the heart and blood vessels; cardiac, vascular, heart-related.

43.The Lancet (organization)

English Meaning - a highly reputed, weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal that publishes original research, review articles, and global health reports.

44.Countdown Global Report (noun)

English Meaning - an annual flagship report by The Lancet Tracking progress on health and climate change, assessing the health impacts of climate change and the health benefits of climate action.

45.heat stress (noun)

English Meaning - a condition that occurs when the body’s internal temperature rises and it cannot cool itself down adequately, leading to health risks; thermal stress, heat exhaustion, overheating.

46.ongoing (adjective)

English Meaning - continuous, persisting, constant, unending.

47.concern (noun)

English Meaning - a matter of interest or anxiety; anxiety, worry, apprehension, issue.

48.Rabi season (noun)

English Meaning - the agricultural period in the Indian subcontinent when crops are sown in the winter (typically October to December) and harvested in the spring (March to May); winter crop season.

49.Kharif season (noun)

English Meaning - the agricultural season in the Indian subcontinent that typically begins with the onset of the monsoon in June and ends with the harvest in autumn; monsoon crop season.

50.accelerate (verb)

English Meaning - speed up, hasten, expedite, advance.

51.crop maturity (noun)

English Meaning - the stage at which an agricultural plant is fully developed and ready to be harvested; harvest-readiness, plant ripening, full growth, grain readiness.

52.food security (noun)

English Meaning - the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food; food availability, stable food supply, dependable sustenance.

53.feed (verb)

English Meaning - fuel, nourish, boost, encourage.

54.inflationary pressure (noun)

English Meaning - the demand and supply-side factors that cause the general price level of goods and services to rise in an economy; price rise pressure, cost escalation factors, economic inflation triggers, cost-push elements.

55.heat action plans (HAPs) (noun)

English Meaning - comprehensive, localized policy frameworks and preparation strategies designed by governments to mitigate the destructive impacts of extreme heatwaves on public health and the economy.

56.lack (verb)

English Meaning - be without or deficient in something; be short of, require, need, miss.

57.structural (adjective)

English Meaning - systemic, fundamental, organizational, infrastructural.

58.intervention (noun)

English Meaning - involvement, mediation, step, measure.

59.such as (phrase)

English Meaning - for example; like, namely, including, to illustrate.

60.urban re-greening (noun)

English Meaning - the process of planting trees, restoring vegetation, and expanding green spaces in city environments to counteract the urban heat island effect; city afforestation, urban landscaping, green infrastructure development.

61.mandatory (adjective)

English Meaning - required by law or rules; compulsory, obligatory, binding, essential.

62.legislation (noun)

English Meaning - laws, considered collectively; rules, regulations, acts, statutes.

63.informal sector (noun)

English Meaning - the part of any economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by any form of government, typically lacking secure employment contracts or worker benefits; unorganized sector, shadow economy, unregulated employment.

64.formal sector (noun)

English Meaning - the sector which encompasses all jobs with normal hours and regular wages, recognized as income sources on which income taxes must be paid; organized sector, regulated economy, registered employment.

65.thus (adverb)

English Meaning - as a result or consequence of this; therefore, consequently, hence, accordingly.

66.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, confront, manage, focus on.

67.elector (noun)

English Meaning - voter, constituent, ballot-caster, enfranchised citizen.

68.brave (verb)

English Meaning - endure or face unpleasant conditions; endure, face, withstand, confront.

69.turnout (noun)

English Meaning - the number of people attending or taking part in an event, especially the number of people voting in an election; attendance, participation, presence, gathering.

70.prompt (verb)

English Meaning - trigger, induce, cause, motivate.

71.keep open (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to allow something to remain accessible or operational for a longer period; leave open, maintain access, prolong hours, extend availability.

72.reactive (adjective)

English Meaning - responsive, reflex, subsequent.

73.measure (noun)

English Meaning - a plan or course of action taken to achieve a particular purpose; action, step, procedure, initiative.

74.suffice (verb)

English Meaning - be enough or adequate; be sufficient, do, serve, meet requirements.

75.trajectory (noun)

English Meaning - course, route, path, direction.

76.human survivability limit (noun)

English Meaning - the maximum threshold of environmental extremes beyond which the human body can no longer regulate its internal temperature and survive; critical biological threshold, lethal heat index, physiological breaking point.

77.desperately (adverb)

English Meaning - urgently, seriously, critically, badly.

78.roll out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - officially launch, introduce, unveil, implement.

79.mobile (adjective)

English Meaning - portable, movable, transportable.

80.income penalty (noun)

English Meaning - the financial loss or reduction in wages suffered by workers, particularly daily wage earners, when they are unable to work due to extreme conditions like heat; wage loss, financial hit, earning reduction, economic setback.

81.deter (verb)

English Meaning - discourage, dissuade, prevent, stop.

82.convene (verb)

English Meaning - assemble, gather, summon, call together.

83.coalition (noun)

English Meaning - alliance, union, partnership, bloc.

84.explore (verb)

English Meaning - inquire into or discuss a subject in detail; investigate, examine, look into, consider.

85.transition (noun)

English Meaning - change, shift, conversion, transformation.

86.fossil fuel (noun)

English Meaning - a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms; hydrocarbon fuel, non-renewable energy source, combustible fossil, carbon-based fuel.

87.parallel (adjective)

English Meaning - occurring or existing at the same time or in a similar way; concurrent, simultaneous, coexisting, alongside.

88.climate conference (noun)

English Meaning - a formal gathering of representatives from various countries or organizations to discuss, negotiate, and establish policies to combat climate change; environmental summit, global warming convention, climate summit.

89.climate adaptation finance (noun)

English Meaning - financial resources, investments, or funds directed towards projects and initiatives that help societies adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.

90.could afford (phrase)

English Meaning - could provide, supply, or offer a particular opportunity or advantage; provide, supply, yield, offer.