Climate & Livelihood Stress

I am from Bihar, in our state we mostly get Langra and Dussehri mangoes. My family said that this season the production is less because of changing weather conditions. Sometimes there is too much sunny weather and sometimes unexpected rain. This causes the quality of mangoes and taste. Mangoes in the market look good from outside, but from inside they are rotten. Because of high prices, many poor families buy fewer mangos only.

— Rohan Shinde · Boorakunte, Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban

I am Lakshmanarayanan. I am a weaver. Now, due to the gas shortage, cooking is very difficult. Now, we have to buy firewood from nearby to cook. They have also increased the price of firewood due to the shortage. So, it's very difficult now. Now, it's the rainy season. During the rainy season, from 5-6 PM, strong winds blow. It rains. So, cooking with firewood is a bit difficult. If there wasn't this gas shortage, we could manage a bit. Our weaving business is already going through some difficulties. Now, with this situation, life is becoming a bit harder.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu

Here in Karnataka, varieties like Badami and Raspuri are very popular. The taste of Raspuri mango this year is good, but there is not enough quantity of naturally ripened mangoes. Due to climate changes and water shortages, many farmers have suffered losses in mango business. This year mango prices are higher than last year, making it difficult for some families to buy regularly. Most people prefer naturally ripened mangoes because they taste better. Nowadays, the taste of mangoes is becoming worse, and prices are still rising.

— Rohan Shinde · Boorakunte, Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban

My name is Thanapalu. The cylinder is not easily available. They are making us wait for 45 to 50 days. Since the cylinder is not readily available, we are cooking on other stoves. They are not even providing the cylinder properly. The price has also gone up. It's a bit difficult. Other stoves are also not easily available. We are unable to cook food in any other way. And it's raining like this. It's a bit difficult. I don't know what to do. It would be fine if we got cash easily. All the prices have gone up. Even with increased prices, they are not giving it properly, they are not delivering. Anyway, they are making us wait for 50 to 60 days. It's a bit difficult.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu

My cousin- college student"The mango quality this year has been uneven ", some batches of Himsagar were excellent and others were disappointing. But the issue I keep thinking about is how climate change is quietly affecting the mango season itself. The season feels shorter, the yields are inconsistent, and farmers are bearing the uncertainty. My message to our local elected representative would be this ", please advocate at the state level for agricultural support programs that help small mango farmers in Bengal adapt to changing weather patterns. Subsidised irrigation, crop insurance, better weather advisory systems ", these are things that require policy attention. We enjoy mangoes every summer without thinking about the farmer who grew them. It is time our representatives started thinking about that too."

— Yuvikaa Agarwal · South Dumdum, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

Response 1: Here in Kannur we mostly get Neelam and Moovandan varieties. This season the quality is just not good, they're ripening too quickly because of the heat and the taste is not there. I bought a dozen last week and half of them were overripe by the next day. Prices are also higher than usual this year.Response 2: Moovandan is the most common mango here and usually it's so good but this year it's disappointing. My neighbour has a mango tree in his compound and even those fell early this season. The ones in the market look okay from outside but inside they're fibrous. Feels like the heat just ruined the whole season.Response 3: We get Neelam and Chandrakaran mangoes in Kannur mostly. This year the season was very short by the time you got used to seeing them in the market they were gone. My mother says the trees are not flowering properly because the weather has been so unpredictable. Prices went up a lot too, almost double compared to two years back.

— Shalin Sanish · Kumbam, Kannur, Kerala

This year the summer has been really bad in Bangalore and in Bangalore anything upward of thirty degrees is something that we Bangaloreans cannot bear and I personally felt it was really hot and almost had to, you know, change my whole wardrobe to,bear the heat. it was a very harsh summer this time and it was also a very long summer. It's only the last couple of days that there's a cloud cover. even that one or two spells of rains that we had in between, it only increased the heat and did not cool Bangalore down too much. But we've been having a little bit of rain the last couple of weeks and hopefully summer is over and I can go back to my usual Bangalore wardrobe.

— Aditya Negi · Bengaluru, Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka

I have been living in this area for more than twenty years, and I feel mango seasons have changed a lot. Earlier, the fruits used to arrive in large quantities and were very flavorful. Around Kuthambakkam, we usually see Banganapalli, Senthooram, and Malgova varieties. This year, the quality is mixed. Some mangoes are excellent, but many are smaller than usual. The extreme summer temperatures and irregular rainfall seem to have affected production. Prices are also higher than what we used to pay a few years ago. Mangoes are still available everywhere, but many people are buying less because of the cost.

— Sanjukta Chanda · Kuthambakkam, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu

We feel more stressed nowadays because the heat is increasing. The sun is getting stronger, and rain is happening untimely.

— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand

In my native village in Maharashtra, the famous mango varieties are Kesar, Alphonso (Hapus), Rajapuri, and Pairi. This year, the quality is not as good as before because of irregular rain and high temperatures. Many mangoes fell before they were fully grown. Nowadays, traders are selling chemically ripened mangoes, which ruins the taste of mango. The prices in the market are high, but farmers are still not getting a fair share. Middlemen earn more than farmers. Good-quality Alphonso mangoes have become expensive for common and poor families like us, getting good quality, natural ripened Alphonso mangoes have become expensive.

— Rohan Shinde · Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka

In my area, Dasheri and Bambaiya are popular mango varieties. This year, the mangoes are not as good as usual. I think the extreme heat may have affected both the quantity and quality of the mangoes.

— Sahil Singh · Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

Response 1: We have been badly affected by the LPG situation here in Kannur. Our last cylinder took almost 6 weeks to arrive. In between we managed with an old kerosene stove the smell and smoke was awful. The price has gone up so much compared to even last year, it's really straining our monthly budget.Response 2: My neighbour runs a small bakery and he says fuel costs are killing his business slowly. He needs two cylinders a month minimum and each refill costs more than the last. He's had to cut down on home deliveries because petrol for his bike is also too expensive now.Response 3: At home we've started being very careful. We use the electric kettle and induction stove for small things and save the gas only for proper cooking. My father drives an auto rickshaw and the petrol price increase has really hit his daily earnings. He used to save something every month but these days it's barely enough. We're hoping things improve soon.

— Shalin Sanish · Kumbam, Kannur, Kerala

This summer has been hotter than usual. This year we experienced more heat waves. We also stopped agriculture in summer due to the unavailability of water for irrigation. This somewhat impacted our economy, which had been a source of external income. During the day, we drink mango and tamarind juice, which helps us maintain our body temperature.

— Anish Toppo · Raiboga, Sundargarh, Odisha

Due to LPG shortage, the prices of LPG have gone up, so we can't eat much because we have to save a lot. It's very difficult because we have to save a lot. Due to this, petrol prices have also increased. Petrol prices had increased earlier, it was around ₹100 before. Now it's around ₹108. So, if someone was putting petrol for ₹300, now they have to put it for ₹400 daily. Because of that, it's very difficult for me to manage our daily life and figure out where we are going.

— Urvashi Sriraman · Mugalivakkam, Chennai Corporation, Chennai

I spend most of my time at home these days, but even indoors I have felt that this summer was unusually hot. Earlier, mornings and evenings used to be pleasant, but now the heat seems to continue well into the night. At my age, hot weather can be uncomfortable and sometimes affects sleep. I avoid going outside during the afternoon and keep the curtains closed on the side where the sunlight enters directly. I drink plenty of water, tender coconut water when available, and eat lighter meals. This also causes weight loss because sometimes I cannot eat because of the heat, which becomes difficult to manage. Every year the summers seem to become a little harsher. Many elderly people may find it difficult to cope if this trend continues.

— Sanjukta Chanda · Kuthambakkam, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu

In Bengaluru, we get almost all mango varieties, but Imam Pasand is my absolute favorite, though I sometimes buy Mallika. Currently, in the middle of the season, local availability is low. I just bought a batch from Chennai that is supposed to be very sweet, which I'll try tomorrow. Interestingly, the season is running late this year. We are well into the monsoons, yet the Paheri (Pairi) mangoes on the tree in my backyard are still growing. Compared to last year, which started early and brought an abundance of excellent varieties by mid-summer .This year has been slow and less bountiful. Even the taste has been inconsistent. The first batch of Imam Pasands I bought a month ago wasn't up to the mark compared to last year's. However, the ones I picked up last week were excellent, so the good fruit is likely just arriving later. This delay is probably due to the mango showers, which were late and lighter than last year, disrupting the usual flowering and fruiting cycle.

— Aditya Negi · Bengaluru, Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka

Currently the summers in Delhi have not been as harsh as they used to be. There have been some days where it has rained heavily leaving the air quite cool for a few days. We have a second hand AC that we use during summers and we try to control its usage .Those days we did not to use the AC during the night. After the few days the heat definitely returned to the same . This is a very dry summer time so it makes me sweat a lot. And since I work as a domestic helper and a cook , the heat from the kitchen really makes me sweat a lot.

— Zainab Rizwi · Cornwallis Colony, New Delhi, Unknown

Currently the summers in Delhi have not been as harsh as they used to be. There have been some days where it has rained heavily leaving the air quite cool for a few days. We have a second hand AC that we use during summers and we try to control its usage .Those days we did not to use the AC during the night. After the few days the heat definitely returned to the same . This is a very dry summer time so it makes me sweat a lot. And since I work as a domestic helper and a cook , the heat from the kitchen really makes me sweat a lot.

— Zainab Rizwi · Cornwallis Colony, New Delhi, Unknown

I am a housewife at home. Gas shortage is very difficult for us. If our gas runs out and we book it, it takes 60 days to get it. Even if we book, it takes more than 10-15 days to get it. Also, because it's sold on the black market, we don't get it properly because it's a village. It's very difficult for firewood. Firewood prices have also increased. Due to gas shortage, firewood prices have also increased a lot, so we can't buy that either. Gas shortage is very difficult for us. Cooking itself is very hard. Don't know what to do.

— Divagar N · Kuppamuthu valavu, Jalakandapuram, Salem

In my area, Dasheri and Langra are the most popular mango varieties. This year, there are fewer mangoes on the trees, and the quality is not as good as usual.

— Sahil Singh · Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

Yes. My family has been affected by the LPG shortage. I have one small hotel, and to run it smoothly we daily use LPG. We daily use LPG cylinders for cooking breakfast, tea, and meals. Now there are delays in getting a new cylinder and also the price are increased. These delays in getting a new cylinder has created a problems in managing my hotel. To deal with LPG shortage problem we try to use the gas carefully and avoid wasting fuel. Sometimes we use wood stove for cooking meals and breakfast. Also I am forced to charge extra money on customers.

— Rohan Shinde · Boorakunte, Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban

Yes, the shortage of LPG cylinders has affected us a lot. Because cylinders are not always available on time, we sometimes use an induction stove and even firewood for cooking. Collecting wood from nearby forest areas requires extra effort and makes daily cooking more difficult.

— Sahil Singh · Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

This summer has been really tough in the afternoons. My house gets extremely hot. We often have power cuts which makes it hard to use fans or coolers. I drink buttermilk and coconut water to stay cool. I keep the windows open for air to come in. But in the afternoon the air was also hot. My kids often get headaches and dehydration. Feel tired after playing outside. We try to avoid going out when the sun's, at its peak level. The fact that there are not trees and green spaces around here makes the heat feel even worse. It is uncomfortable for my children to play outside. They get tired very quickly. I have to take care of them.

— Rohan Shinde · Boorakunte, Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban

Due to the shortage of LPG, our work has been greatly affected. We run a fast-food shop, so we need gas daily for that. And because of LPG gases, the price of gas for commercial usage has increased from 1000 to 3-4000 rupees, which makes it very difficult for us to procure it. This has also affected our work, and we have had to increase the prices of our items. What we used to sell for 30, we now sell for 40-50 after making it, because the price of LPG has become expensive, so things will also become expensive for us.

— Anshika Saxena · Kichha, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand

In the present era, due to unseasonal weather, the yield of agricultural crops has decreased.

— Padmalochan Majhi · Ratachua, Rayagada, Odisha

For us, the biggest problem this year was more about power cuts than the heat. When the temperature rose very high, often there was no electricity for hours. Fans, coolers, everything would stop, and it became difficult to sit inside the house. Even at night, we couldn't sleep properly, which caused problems in working the next day. To escape the heat, we kept drinking water repeatedly, used wet towels, and stayed in the shade as much as possible. But due to lack of electricity, children, the elderly, and sick people faced the most difficulty. Many times, the water supply was also affected, which further increased the problems. We feel that along with increasing heat, it is very important for the electricity system to be strengthened. If there is continuous electricity, people can get relief from the heat and daily life can become a bit easier.

— Kumari Ankita · Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh

Hello, regarding the summer, the sun is very strong. But since we are in the countryside, we don't feel it much because we work in the village. It's a little, a little more. But because we are farmers, we don't feel it. But I don't know how you people in town are coping, poor things. The sun is indeed very strong this year. I don't know if it will stay like this or how it will be. But we ourselves are drinking a lot of water in the countryside. But even if we farm like that, our farming is not yielding much. The yield is very low. Half of the harvest is wasted due to yellow disease. I don't know how we are going to cope.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu

Response 1 – Homemaker: The price of LPG cylinders has become quite high and affects our monthly budget. Sometimes we think about using a wood-fired stove to save money, but during summer the heat and smoke make it very uncomfortable. We try to use LPG carefully and avoid wastage. Response 2 – Auto Driver: The increase in petrol prices directly affects my daily income. Fuel expenses have gone up, but earnings have not increased at the same rate. I avoid unnecessary trips and plan my routes carefully to reduce fuel consumption. Response 3 – Retired School Teacher: I have not experienced any LPG shortage, but rising fuel prices affect everyone. Transportation costs have increased, and the prices of vegetables and other essential goods have also gone up. Families have to spend more on daily necessities than before

— Devadharshini S · Kappalur, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

The LPG crisis has definitely affected us because we run a food business. So, we use a commercial cylinder and not a normal household cylinder, and the prices for the commercial cylinder has gone up more than the household one. So, we have to pay extra. We used to buy it in bulk but because the price has risen, we cannot buy so many of them and keep it with us. And to adjust the price we have also increased the prices of our some of our products, which has reduced the inflow of customers.

— Zainab Rizwi · Cornwallis Colony, New Delhi, Unknown

I think everyone's been affected by the LPG shortage.A lot of us have switched to electrical induction stoves, tea kettles, and other electronic gadgets to do most of our stuff and limit the amount of gas used around the house.I have been not so heavily affected by the fuel cost because I don't drive a car.I only use a bike and a cycle.So yes, fuel prices have increased.It could have been dealt with better.I think there are some states that have managed to keep the fuel prices lower and some states and cities that haven't been able to do that, and that's causing some amount of struggle.But otherwise things are just going normally.I think as Indians we have been able to adapt to survive and been able to manage a lot of these situations with different methods, and I think we're doing a pretty good job considering the circumstances.I have seen a lot of people switching to wood and coal and other fun methods for cooking.So I'm not too worried, but things haven't gotten so bad just yet.

— Aditya Negi · Bengaluru, Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka

I think this summer was much hotter than previous years. During the afternoons, it became very difficult to keep my grocery shop open. The shop is small, and there is no fan to keep me cool. I carry a large water bottle and drink water frequently to avoid dehydration. Sometimes, I have to close my shop in the afternoon because of the extreme heat. I often feel tired and suffer from headaches due to the high temperatures. The heat has also affected my business, as very few customers come to the shop during the afternoon. Most people prefer to stay indoors until the weather becomes cooler.

— Rohan Shinde · Billapura, Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka

I come from Assam. I have to say that Bengaluru was really hot this year. The temperature was high at night. I always carry a water bottle with me. I try to stay inside when it is the hottest part of the day. Many students get tired when they are going to college especially when they are on buses. There are not places to wait in the shade at the bus stops so it is not very comfortable to commute. The heat in Bengaluru has changed my routine and it is harder for me to focus I get tired really fast. Bengaluru heat is something that I am still getting used to. It is affecting my life in many ways like my daily routine and my concentration, in Bengaluru.

— Rohan Shinde · Boorakunte, Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban

Yes, we have been affected by LPG availability. We have a large family, and normally one gas cylinder lasts about 30 days, but recently getting a new cylinder can take around 45 days. Because of this, we sometimes use firewood for cooking. Also, gas delivery vehicles are not coming close to our house, so we have to go to the market to get the cylinder. However, since there is a government employee in our family, the increase in fuel prices has not affected our finances too much.

— Sahil Singh · Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

The environment was good before, now it doesn't rain on time, due to which farming is not good.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Yes, I've been highly affected due to this crisis and even my business has changed its way of dealing with purchasing and selling cost. Due to shortage of LPG cost of purchasing it has been increased which led me to increase the cost of products of my business. This has affected the number of customers coming to us leading to unsatisfactory profits.

— Anish Toppo · Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh

Response 1 – Sourabh"Yes, we had LPG shortage last month. Had to wait extra days for the cylinder. For fuel costs, I use company cab more and bike less. I also use electric stove for tea and small cooking."Response 2 – Madhavi"We faced LPG shortage. Had to order food from outside for two days. For rising fuel costs, I share auto to office and reduced AC use at home. Everything is expensive now."Response 3 – Abhishek"Yes, LPG was delayed many days. My mum had trouble cooking. For fuel costs, I use bike less and take public trasport. We are cooking simpler food to save gas."

— Prayag Gaikwad · Pune, Maharashtra

Oh brother, this year the summer has been extremely hot. It used to be difficult to go out of the house during the day. In the afternoon, it felt like fire was raining on the streets. Even the fan often threw hot air, and it became difficult to sit without a cooler or AC. If the power went out, the trouble would increase even more. To protect ourselves from the heat, we drink as much water as possible, and consume things like lemonade, buttermilk, and ORS so that there is no water deficiency in the body. We only go out in the afternoon if it's very necessary, otherwise, we stay indoors. We wear light cotton clothes and try to go out in the sun less often. At night, sitting on the roof or in an open space provides some relief. In our opinion, this year's summer has been hotter than in several past years. It also affected the work of many people, especially those who work outdoors. We hope that the weather will normalize a bit in the coming time and we will get relief from such intense heat.

— Kumari Ankita · Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh

Ajitpal Singh | 18 yrs. This summer was very hot, although, it is also accompanied by more rain than usual. The problem was that after the rain it would immediately return to the same level of heat. Because of extreme heat during afternoon, I avoid going out. My coaching time has also changed to evening. I wear a cold water soaked cloth will travelling on my two wheeler. At home, we are heavily dependent on AC. Other than that, my water and liquid intake has increased.

— Harmanjot Kaur · Rajgarh, Barnala, Punjab

Balwinder Kaur | 46 yrs The heat is very harsh this summer. I work as the health supervisor and there is an increase in heat strokes. Many people have started to take ORS as a preventive measure as well. I try to drink as much water as possible to deal with the heat. I also use a cold cloth to cool down sometimes. Other than that AC usage is very high for us. How ever rain sometimes provide respite from the heat.

— Harmanjot Kaur · Rajgarh, Barnala, Punjab

Yes, this has affected us. In our village, sometimes gas cylinders are not available on time. Also, gas prices have increased a lot, due to which household expenses have risen. So, we use gas sparingly. We cook as much as possible on a stove and only light the gas when there is a great need. The wood obtained from the fields or cow dung cakes are very useful. This saves gas and reduces the stress of increased expenses a little. In this way, we manage this difficulty.

— Pragati Raut · Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra