India's April assembly elections face climate hurdles for 174 million
India's assembly elections this April are running into some serious climate hurdles, especially in states like West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.
With 174 million people set to vote, authorities are up against extreme heat and unpredictable pre-monsoon storms, making it tougher for voters to show up and for the election process to run smoothly.
Officials extend polling hours, add trackers
To help everyone cope with the weather, election teams have extended voting hours and added real-time polling-station trackers so people can avoid long waits in the heat.
They are also working on making elections greener by cutting down on fuel use and single-use plastics during campaigning.
Experts say these changes matter more than ever as climate disruptions become the new normal, so this year's elections are a big test of how ready India is for voting in a warming world.