April 18, 2016•Update: April 22, 2016
By Ahmad Adil
NEW DELHI, India
Several Indian states are struggling to deal with a weeks-long heat wave that has left more than 100 people dead.
According to officials, most of the affected areas are in southern India, including Telangaga, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Schools have been shut down as temperatures reached 45.8 degrees Celsius in some areas.
B.P. Yadav, a senior official at the Indian Meteorological Department in New Delhi, told Anadolu Agency that not much change is expected until May.
“There are states, including Odisha and Telangaga, that are witnessing a heat wave. It is more than normal,” he said. “Till May, we don’t expect much change in the weather.”
Experts have blamed the current heat wave on environmental factors, saying the country has witnessed an increase in temperature over the past few years.
“The government should work to control the rapid urbanization and provide more space and greenery,” Neha Pahuja, an environmental expert, told Anadolu Agency. “If the government focuses on these factors, it would certainly help.”
Officials said 293 people died last year as a result of a similar heat wave.
