, Columnist
India’s Scorching Heat Is Making It Unlivable
It could prevent the world’s most populous country from building the economy of the future.
Sweltering in the streets.
Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
It can often seem a triumph that India exists at all.
By some miracle of human ingenuity and industry, a land area barely bigger than Argentina with less water than Colombia is able to support nearly a fifth of the world’s population. The scorching temperatures in the capital New Delhi this week are a warning sign, however. The magic spell that has sustained this achievement is coming close to breaking.