New Delhi, April 28 -- As a resident of Shimla, I keep bracing myself to life amidst the chaos caused by climate change.

This month, Himachal Pradesh (HP) has gone from extreme heat, with the government preparing for drought-like conditions and forest fires, to experiencing extreme rainfall and gusty winds that killed six people in Kullu and caused power outages and infrastructure damage in Shimla. Meanwhile, higher regions of HP like Lahaul & Spiti experienced untimely snowfall, causing damage to crops. All this happened in just two weeks.

I am a public health researcher, and I moved to Shimla in 2022 to work on issues of health, health services and extreme weather in the city. Before the move, my father and uncle - who spent part of t...