Spare a thought for the labourer who works outdoors under the burning sun. That the heat wave has fallen in the month of Ramazan has made it even more difficult to go through the normal workings of a day. An ordinance has been passed prohibiting eating and drinking in public places during the holy month. This ignores those whom religion exempts from fasting— minorities, pregnant women, elderly and the sick. According to some estimates about half the population of Pakistan is absolved from fasting. This latest mixing of morality and law seems indifferent to the realities on the ground.
Spare a thought for the labourer who works outdoors under the burning sun. That the heat wave has fallen in the month of Ramazan has made it even more difficult to go through the normal workings of a day
While the scorching summer months are tough on humans, they are tougher still on animals that live mostly outdoors. We have two dogs here in our house in Rawalpindi, each given to me by my nephew on my last two birthdays. Betty is a delightful Cocker Spaniel that we have had for little over a year. Moji, an Australian Shepherd, arrived about two months ago. While Betty is overly friendly and playful, she hasn’t quite taken to her new four-legged companion yet and lets Moji know who is the boss throughout the day. Between their skirmishes, they can be seen looking for cool spots around the house, as they have been prohibited by my father from being indoors. And so they have a lot of open space to run around but are constantly exposed to the elements. Their counterparts in New York lounge around in small air-conditioned apartments but have to be taken out for regular walks. Life has its gives and takes, depending on where you are.
Betty seems especially ill at ease in high temperatures as she has more of a coat on her body. Moji seems to take everything, including the heat, more in stride. Their primary residence is the veranda on the side of our house, which gets baked by the sun throughout the day. The coolest spot is behind the house but the dogs seem to prefer areas which are closer to their humans.
I have noticed that not only do the dogs seek the shade of trees but cling closely to potted plants, squeezing themselves between the clay pots and sleeping away most of the day. The clay pots are cool to touch, and this way the dogs have found their own cooling system. I also bought an air cooler and placed it in the veranda but the dogs still preferred the cool of the potted plants, except on occasion when I spilled some water on the floor of the veranda and turned the fan on. They dug in the water with their paws for a bit and then lay on it, falling asleep. I have also placed the potted plants under the shade of a lychee tree in the corner across from the veranda where Moji often takes his siestas. Such is the allure of potted plants that a random cat has made her home in a dark spot behind the house. Once Betty found the cat and besieged her fort until the cat hissed and swung a paw at her.
There are other indignities that the humans of Pakistan suffer during our arduous summers. Try applying for a visa to another country. Perhaps you want to escape the heat to one of the Schengen countries for a week or two. That most of the embassies are cordoned off in a diplomatic enclave in Islamabad is perhaps understandable, given the security conditions in the country in recent years. But I am troubled a great deal with what happens once the applicants reach the embassy. Whether a visa is approved or not, making people wait under sheds with hot tin roofs is no way to treat Pakistani citizens, while the embassy staff sits comfortably in air-conditioned buildings. It is undignified and insulting. The government must send a clear message and ensure that all embassies in Islamabad and their relative consulates in the rest of the country provide applicants with indoor air-conditioned waiting areas. If specific legislation is needed for this to happen parliament should undertake it.
It is now common knowledge that Pakistan is going to be affected by climate change in devastating ways. In fact, we are already seeing the impact of global warming all around us. A more effective environmental policy is the need of the hour. Tree plantation and the use of solar power could be encouraged and incentivized. Water conservation campaigns could be run. Climate change awareness and resource conservation infomercials could become a permanent part of the government’s agenda. Let us do this on an emergency footing so both humans and animals of Pakistan can breathe a little easier and live their lives with more dignity.