news from the front

Judging by the enthusiastic temper of last post, I started the Jaipur summer more than a little bit ignorant of the heat's effect on ones' mind and body.

For the past few days the temperature has been hovering around 41º celsius, or about 100º Fahrenheit. This wouldn't faze many, but the lack of air conditioning in Jaipur and my vegetarian diet has made the expenditure of energy (physical, mental) an altogether different proposition.

The heat smothers. I wake up every day at six a.m. to catch the sunrise and enjoy the dawnlit hour of cool, 25-degree temperature. I sit on the porch and read or write. Because I will be working on the computer all day, I usually stick to books and my diary.

By 8 a.m., the sun has already begun its ascent. As I walk to breakfast, I have to wear my hat and sunglasses. By the time I walk into the office at 9:45 a.m., I begin to sweat underneath my clothing as I walk the distance from the street to the office verandah.

Once inside, I turn on the fan and pour myself a tall glass of water. The dark, cave-like office remains about 30º throughout the day.

Outside my office window, life plays out in half-speed. People move slowly, almost unnoticeably down the street. The sun reverberates against the piles of dirt and chai stands.

The Times of India has been reporting on water shortages in the pink city (Jaipur's oldest sector). Water is being rationed at about two buckets per day per household, or about 40 gallons. Compare this with the average American's use of approximately 70 gallons/day.

By the end of April and in early may, temperatures should reach around 50º celsius or 122º Fahrenheit. Water will be more strictly rationed. The farm I live on already has a drip irrigation system, and it is building a catchment system for the summer monsoons. The amount of well-water in Jaipur has long ago passed the point of no-return. The monsoon water cannot penetrate the hard, dry earth in order to replenish the aquifers in Jaipur, so rainwater catchment systems will be the only reamining means of agriculture.