3 neighbours have shared what matters to them — in their own words.
“Response 1: Kannur is always humid but this year was something else. Even the nights were hot which is unusual here. I'm near the coast so we usually get some breeze but this summer even that wasn't enough. Had to stop my evening walks completely and my blood pressure was acting up because of the heat. Response 2: Our house is near Thavakkara and it felt suffocating this summer. No breeze, high humidity. I borrowed a cooler from my cousin just to sleep at night. Power cuts in the evening made it even worse. I've been drinking tender coconut water almost every day just to cope. Response 3: The KSRTC bus commute to Kannur town in the afternoon is really awful. No ventilation, packed with people. I've started leaving office early just to avoid peak heat. My younger sister had a headache and vomiting last month turned out to be a mild heatstroke. This summer has been genuinely difficult for everyone here”
“Response 1: Kannur is always humid but this year was something else. Even the nights were hot which is unusual here. I'm near the coast so we usually get some breeze but this summer even that wasn't enough. Had to stop my evening walks completely and my blood pressure was acting up because of the heat. Response 2: Our house is near Thavakkara and it felt suffocating this summer. No breeze, high humidity. I borrowed a cooler from my cousin just to sleep at night. Power cuts in the evening made it even worse. I've been drinking tender coconut water almost every day just to cope. Response 3: The KSRTC bus commute to Kannur town in the afternoon is really awful. No ventilation, packed with people. I've started leaving office early just to avoid peak heat. My younger sister had a headache and vomiting last month turned out to be a mild heatstroke. This summer has been genuinely difficult for everyone here”
In Kannur, residents are grappling with several pressing issues. The region experienced an unprecedented summer heat 🥵, leading to widespread discomfort, health concerns like heatstroke, and disruptions to daily life due to extreme humidity and power cuts. Concurrently, the rising cost and scarcity of LPG and fuel have severely impacted household budgets and local small businesses, forcing reliance on less ideal alternatives and cutting down on essential services. Furthermore, the local mango season was disappointing this year, with poor quality and high prices attributed to unpredictable weather patterns. Despite these challenges, the community is showing resilience, adapting by utilizing electric appliances, adjusting routines, and seeking local solutions to cope with these difficulties 💡.
“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.”
“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.”
