Indian heatwave exposes a cooling challenge for fresh food
India's heatwave hits small vendors hardest as they cannot keep produce fresh and customers stay off the streets
- Climate change makes Indian heatwaves longer, more severe
- India records high food losses, heat makes it worse
- Millions of small vendors lose income and health
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Sahil buys vegetables every day from a nearby wholesale market, but much of the produce is already in a bad shape.
"The air is so hot, that the vegetables are drying up and changing their natural colour in just a couple of hours after being on display," he said. "And you can see for yourself, there are no customers."
Daytime temperatures have hovered above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) since mid-May and officials say the heatwave has killed and 40,000 people have suffered heatstroke.
Sahil said his income had nearly halved in the past two months from around 15,000 Indian rupees ($180) a month to 8,000.
Mohammed Akhlaq, trying to keep his coconuts out of the sun at a market near Delhi, said business had never been so bad.
"In 40 years of life, I have never seen such a harsh summer," said Akhlaq.
He said he had lost between 30% and 40% of his produce to the heat in the last two months. Coupled with customers staying indoors and ordering online, Akhlaq also said his income had halved.
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