Kanishka Sonthalia

A visual log of thoughts, works in progress and completed works. Documentary Photographer

India's Boiling Point

A woman fans a family member in...ospital (ANMCH) in Gaya, Bihar.

A woman fans a family member in the emergency ward at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH) in Gaya, Bihar.

A man gets on to a stretcher at...l College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A man gets on to a stretcher at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A patient and her family member...l College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A patient and her family member sit on a bed in the general ward at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A family member fans a patient ...l College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A family member fans a patient at the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A woman and her daughter share ...l College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A woman and her daughter share a moment in the emergency ward at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH).

Dr. Kamlesh Kumar (55), Nodal O...l College and Hospital (ANMCH).

Dr. Kamlesh Kumar (55), Nodal Officer for Heat and a medical intern go over a patients test results at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A son adjusts the direction of ...l College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A son adjusts the direction of the fan for his father in the emergency ward at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A son assists his father while ...l College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A son assists his father while the nurse checks on him at the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH).

A man pumps water in Gaya, Bihar.

Left to Right: Jagiya Devi (age... wage laborers work on a field.

Left to Right: Jagiya Devi (age unknown) and her husband Bachchu Das (age unknown), daily wage laborers work on a field.

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Public Project

India's Boiling Point

Copyright Kanishka Sonthalia 2025

Updated Sep 2025

India is being battered by extreme heat waves, with temperatures topping 45 °C and humidity making survival difficult. The worst impact falls on outdoor workers such as farmers and construction laborers, who risk heatstroke just to earn a living. Hospitals, power grids, and water supplies are stretched thin, while crowded urban neighborhoods without shade or ventilation intensify the danger. Scientists warn these humid heat events will only grow more frequent and severe. The article argues that India must act fast with stronger protections for workers, better warning systems, and climate-conscious city planning to cope with this new reality.

Commissioned by Bloomberg Businessweek.

Kanishka Sonthalia / New York

Feb 1, 2018 - Ongoing

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