Daily English Vocab
PDF 29th April 2017
Fight the Summer Blaze
Heat waves are getting worse, but preparedness and simple measures can save many lives.
I grew up close to the tropics, in a north Indian city. During harsh summers the incandescent
(प्रकाशमान) sun the largest nuclear fusion reactor in the entire solar system is unforgiving, and heat
waves bake the ground and all that's on it. Amidst power cuts, a searing hot wind blows. The
feeling cannot be described or forgotten: of being restless and trapped. There is no relief from that
humidity, sweat and exhaustion. It is burning, always and everywhere. We try to live through the
day, to survive, but many are not so lucky.
As climate change intensifies, such extreme heat waves will get worse. Globally, 16 of the 17
hottest years on record have been since 2000, and heat waves have taken a mounting toll. Heat
wave deaths happen everywhere. In the US, they cause more deaths than all other natural disasters
combined. Normally cool Europe lost 70,000 people in 2003 and snowy Russia lost 56,000 in
2010.
In developing countries, heat waves are even more insidious (भयानक/ खतरनाक). The frail (कमजोर), the
elderly, children, women, migrants, the sick and people without access to simple ways to cool
themselves in summer are at greatest risk, and yet most of these deaths are preventable, even under
the harshest of conditions. That is why governments of developing countries must plan now for
the heat waves of the future, or face a mounting death toll among society's most vulnerable (जो
सहज में घायल हो सके ) people.
India, where one out of every five people on this planet lives, is particularly vulnerable. In the
summer of 2015 a heat wave with temperatures reaching 48°C left more than 2,330 people dead.
Last year, 1,100 died and millions were put at risk. And these were likely underestimates because
many deaths during heat waves are attributed to other causes. However, over the years, heat wave
deaths have been steadily increasing.
Developing countries are not only at risk because many are closer to the equator or lack air
conditioning, which research shows, has the single largest impact in reducing heat deaths.
Nutritional status also plays a role. Half of India's children are undernourished, increasing their
susceptibility (सवं ेदनशीलता). Further, half of all young women are anemic and therefore already in
a weakened state. Lack of access to affordable healthcare is another factor. The situation is so bad
that catastrophic (ववपविपूर्ण) expenditure on healthcare is now the leading cause of falling into
poverty, replacing dowry. Given these high expenses people think twice before seeking care, even
in emergencies.
58% of India's total population lives on less than Rs 200 per day. And when heat waves strike,
poverty has consequences. An estimated 53% of households don't have water available at home,
42% don't have bathing facilities, more than half don't have an indoor toilet. Just two cities in the
entire country have uninterrupted water supply.
This summer is shaping up to be especially bad in India. Satellite images show large areas in the
western and northern parts of the country having dried up from lack of underground water. Without
access to water, heat waves become particularly deadly. A third of India's population lacks
electricity, precluding (रोकना) the use of fans and air conditioning.
But heat deaths are preventable and simple measures could save many lives. Just three main actions
would make an enormous difference.
First, we need to raise awareness. Just an awareness of heat as a threat reduces the likelihood of
falling sick from a heat wave. When aware, people are more likely to stay hydrated and indoors,
away from the scorching (झल
ु साने वाला) sun. Government and media must work together to raise
awareness of the dangers of heat waves, and the simple measures that can save lives.
Second, we need to develop city and state heat preparedness (तैयारी) plans. One plan for
Ahmadabad, a city of 5.5 million, built public awareness about heat health risks through
community outreach, initiated a weather forecast-based early warning system of impending heat
waves, and organised staff trainings for concerned departments. It also ensured that there were
ample supplies of ice packs, water coolers, beds and medicines to bring relief from the rising
summer heat. These programmes have been shown to be effective in saving lives.
Finally, in rural areas we must build social safety nets and increase the availability of health
services. Diet, clothing, housing designs, green neighbourhoods, ensuring availability of water and
power are commonsense measures of protection that save lives. Simply checking in on our
neighbours, the elderly and the sick can reduce their risk.
To be sure heat waves are not the only fatal (dangerous) natural disaster, and preparing for them
costs money. But they deserve our attention. Costs of simple preparation measures are negligible
compared to the benefits of saved lives.
India has learnt through tragic experience the devastation (ववनाश) of heat waves. But with climate
change making summer even hotter than those of my childhood, we need to do more. We must
learn to mitigate (घटाना) their impacts even as temperatures soar. The country must now apply these
lessons in every major city and across the vast rural areas where most poor populations’ reside.
Other countries can also learn from this experience, and develop their own corresponding actions.
Summer is here; there is truly no time to waste.
Courtesy: The Times of India
1. Incandescent (adj): Emitting light as a result of being heated. (प्रकाशमान/ उद्दीप्त)
Synonyms: Radiant, Luminous, Shining, Beaming,
Antonyms: Gloomy, Dull, Dark, Dim
Example: The incandescent light lamp is a source of electric light that works by incandescence,
which is the emission of light caused by heating the filament
2 Insidious (adj): Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects (
खतरनाक)
Synonyms: Dangerous, Deceitful, Perilous, Subtle, Snaky
Antonyms: Fair, Harmless, Pleasant, Healthy, Soft,
Example: Sexual harassment is a serious and insidious problem.
3 Frail (adj): Weak and delicate (कमजोर)
Synonyms: Weak, Lean, Feeble, slim, Vulnerable, Sickly,
Antonyms: Healthy, Strong, Fat, Firm
Example: As he started to leave, he turned towards the frail woman who was searching something
to eat.
4 Susceptibility (noun): A person's feelings, typically considered as being easily hurt. (सवं ेदनशीलता)
Synonyms: Sensitivity, Perceptivity, Susceptivity
Antonyms: Insensitivity, Stupor, Ignorance
Example: Lack of exercise increases susceptibility to disease.
5 Catastrophic (adj): involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering (ववपविपूर्ण)
Synonyms: Calamitous, Fatal, Ruinous, Tragic, Disastrous, Adverse
Antonyms: Fortunate, successful, Blessed
Example: A catastrophic earthquake caused a large destruction of buildings.
6 Precluding (verb): Prevent from happening; make impossible. (बंद करना)
Synonyms: Discontinue, avert, Hinder, Cease, Prevent
Antonyms: Allow, Help, Assist, Encourage, Permit
Example: The secret nature of spy precluded him from recognition.
Verb forms: Preclude, Precluded, Precluded
7 Scorching (adj): Very hot. (झुलसाने वाला)
Synonyms: Burning, Blistering, Searing
Antonyms: Cool
Example: The temperature in July soars very high due to scorching sun.
8 preparedness (noun): A state of readiness, especially for war. (तैयारी)
Synonyms: Preparation, Alertness, Readiness
Example: A high state of military preparedness of any one state obliges all the others to
endeavour to be prepared on the same level.
9. Devastation (noun): Great destruction or damage (ववनाश)
Synonyms: Ruin, Havoc, Demolition
Antonyms: Creation, Building, Construction
Example: The floods caused widespread devastation.
10. Mitigate (verb): Make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful. (घटाना)
Synonyms: Reduce, Lessen, Decrease, Diminish
Antonyms: Aggravate, Intensify, Worsen
Example: Morphine may be given hypodermically to mitigate the pain.
Verb forms: Mitigate, Mitigated, Mitigated
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