A new study by researchers at OP Jindal Global University found that the extreme weather, due to both scorching heat and cold bite, has killed more than 34,000 people in India in about two decades.

Researchers of the study have urged the government to take strong steps to protect people, especially the most unsafe for such temperature extremes.

The research published in the Journal Temperator saw the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, which covers the year from 2001 to 2019.

Meanwhile, 19,693 people died due to heatstroke, while 15,197 lost their lives due to coming in contact with cold.

The analysis showed that some states reported more deaths than others. Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab recorded the most deaths due to heatstroke.

For cold risk, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar were the most affected.

The study also found that men of working ages were more likely to die from heatstroke, possibly due to their jobs that long out. It indicates better work safety, and need for safety measures during the extreme season.

Researchers used statistical methods such as panel Regression and Splines to see how temperature and deaths are added to 24 Indian states between 2001 and 2014. The results showed that when the temperature was beyond normal borders, deaths in both hot summer and cold winters increased rapidly.

According to the researchers, most studies on how excessive temperature is to affect health from high-age countries. India, with its diverse climate and large population, faces unique challenges, which have not yet been studied enough.

The authors of the study are now calling India’s welfare and public health systems to improve. He said that the country needs to invest in better housing, cooling and heating infrastructure, and security traps for those who work outside or live under bad conditions.

The authors wrote, “Conclusions point to the need to identify hotspots for heat and deaths from cold exposure and to apply a framework for permanent policies that can enable flexibility among the population.”

As India continues to deal with rising temperatures and harsh winter, researchers insisted that policy action is required to prevent these avoidable deaths in the future.