Hot sunshine, withered workers: In mines and factories, heat waves cause horrible damage
The Weather Office has issued a heat wave alarm for Vidarbha in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, southern Haryana and Maharashtra until April 24. For most parts of the country, until the annual monsoon rainfall arrives. Labor-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather and small-scale engineering units are expected to bear the brunt, industry experts say.
“Because most furnaces are located in an open environment, steel manufacturing is being indirectly affected due to strong heat waves, and rising temperatures can affect workers’ performance,” said Pankaj Chadha, chairman of the Engineering Export Promotion Committee (EEPC). Many steel plants in India are located in areas hot by heat waves.
Can also read |Severe heat waves lead to production losses in heat-intensive industries
Globally, March 2025 is the second release since March last year, with an average surface temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial period. Research shows that heat waves in India become more frequent, intense and lasting than before. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can affect workers and machine efficiency, resulting in delays in production planning and higher operating costs.
EEPC’s Chadha said the recurring shortage of migrant workers was a more complex challenge between April and June. “The quantum estimated to lose production is earlier at this stage,” Chada said. However, he added that the damage caused by the heat wave is at least at least at present less attention to the industry compared to the impact of key trading partners, the U.S. on tariffs.
Temperature rises are the hardest hit in factories operating furnaces, boilers and other heating equipment. Steel production requires raw materials that melt at temperatures above 1,500°C and then improve and cast to shape. Likewise, the manufacturing of engineered products involves heat-intensive processes such as casting, forging and welding.
Harsh Bansal, managing director of BMW Industries, a steel maker and businessman, said the dual challenges of rising temperatures to steel processing: reducing production and increasing risks to workers’ safety. He stressed that the heat of machinery and personnel has been increased.
Read Also | As temperatures soar, consumers rushed toward air conditioners, coolers beat heat
“Prolonged exposure to extreme heat puts workers at risk of fatigue, heat stress, dehydration and other serious health complications,” Bansal said.
There is no immediate relief either. The highest temperatures in northwest India in northwest India gradually grew by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), including Haryana, Himaal Pradesh, Jamu and Kashmir, Rajab, Rajasthan, Rajasthan, Uttarakand and Uttar and Uttar, over the next 5 days.
According to IMD, the temperature in central India may increase by 2-3°C after the next 24 hours, while in eastern India may increase by 4-6°C over the next four days. Currently, temperatures hover between 35°C and 40°C, and they may rise further to 44°C over the next few days.
Pr Sinha of Trimex Industries said the head of regulatory affairs at Trimex Industries, a mineral processing and trading company, an industry that adds heat to workers’ safety, operational output and infrastructure stability. He noted that excessive heat can worsen equipment functionality, noting that high-capacity underground ventilation and on-site cooling units can help reduce workplace temperatures and improve miners’ safety.
Can also read |Tornado, heat wave increases insurance costs for Indian wind energy projects
“With the recent severe western disturbances, the highest temperatures are expected to rise in the northwest and central areas,” said KJ Ramesh, former director of IMD.
“As of now, we have not yet predicted the expected loss of value terms. However, given the size of the manufacturing industry, we expect a significant decline in the coming months, possibly between 10% and 15%, given the scale of the manufacturing industry,” said Arun Kumar Garodia, EEPC and former chairman of Corona Steel Industry PVT, Ltd., manufacturing light engineering commodities.
“Severe heat waves not only pose a serious health risk, but also significantly affect workers’ productivity,” said Dr Yudhyavir Singh, associate professor of intensive care at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). “Extreme heat conditions require changes in working hours, adequate hydration, and frequent labour rotation to prevent heat stress and maintain efficiency.”
When workers are exposed to high temperatures without proper rest or ventilation, it can cause cramps, strokes and other health problems. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, fever, fever, seizures, seizures or convulsions. He added.
Due to its temperature-controlled manufacturing environment, workers in sectors such as pharmaceuticals are expected to remain relatively insulated.
Read this |Future heat waves are more destructive than floods; experts say economic growth will be affected more
“Industry such as textiles, shoemaking, food and beverage processing that rely on manual labor is more vulnerable to operational challenges posed by heat waves,” said Ajay Srivastava, co-founder of the Global Trade Research Project (GTRI) (GTRI).
“We need to essentially loosen the generation regulations of open access and captives so that manufacturing units can use cheap solar energy to increase working conditions and productivity of their units,” said Rahul Ahluwalia, founder and director of the Policy Advocacy group, said.
“MSMEs in India are often very alert to heat waves and the major challenges facing which are the output affected by supply chain disruptions, especially in AGRI inputs, power outages, productivity loss, productivity loss, energy costs increase, in addition to the diseases associated with high temperatures that cause workers to be associated with high temperatures, resulting in extreme temperatures, disrupting actions, causing the actions of Indian weapons, calling for heating, calling for heating, calling for heating, calling for heating, calling for heating, calling for heating.
In March, India’s trade deficit expanded sharply to $21.54 billion, down from $14.05 billion in February. The export volume of commodity in fiscal year 25 was US$437.42 billion, up from the record of US$437.07 billion in fiscal year 24, while the import volume of commodity in fiscal year 255 was US$7.224 billion, and the export volume in fiscal year 250 was US$678.221 billion. In fiscal year 224, if there are price in fiscal year 224, if there are data in fiscal year 224.
And read |India’s industrial braces have serious global consequences on the eve of Trump’s tariff war
The export value of commodities in March was US$41.97 billion, while imports were US$63.51 billion, while export prices in February were US$36.91 billion and imports were US$50.96 billion.
“Extreme weather conditions, such as the ongoing Heatwave, put significant pressure on the supply chain, once again underscoring the importance of cold chain logistics,” said Swarup Bose, founder and CEO of Celcius Logistics. “In this season, we have observed a significant increase in demand for cold chain refrigerated vehicles and refrigeration volumes as companies work to protect temperature-sensitive products (from fresh produce to medicines), from spoilage and quality loss.”
