What people in Tamil Nadu are saying

“Quiet beach”

“In our house, among the mangoes, we buy Himapasanth, Algoa, Maganapalli, and Neelam. Among these, my favorite fruits are Himapasanth and Neelam. Both of them taste good. They are delicious to eat. They are good. They are juicy. They are pulpy. They are good. Okay?”

“The city I live in had a lot of heat this year. In fact, it got very hot, which wasn't seen last year. There's nothing much to do in this heat. We just drink as much water and sherbet as we can and stay in AC. Our directly”

“It's very hot in Chennai right now. Because of that, I will go out with my friends, eat ice cream, and then play pool. All of that together will bring down that heat.”

“We haven't directly been affected by LPG shortage, but the prices of travel and petrol have increased, so those are understandable.”

“Due to LPG shortage, the prices of LPG have gone up, so we can't eat much because we have to save a lot. It's very difficult because we have to save a lot. Due to this, petrol prices have also increased. Petrol prices had increased earlier, it was around ₹100 before. Now it's around ₹108. So, if someone was putting petrol for ₹300, now they have to put it for ₹400 daily. Because of that, it's very difficult for me to manage our daily life and figure out where we are going.”

“Due to this Iran war, it is very, very, very difficult. Fuel is very scarce. There's no gas. In homes, it's impossible to light a stove. We cannot cook by cutting wood and lighting it. Even if we want to use an electric stove, its price is also continuously increasing. What else can we do? It's very difficult. So, in order to save fuel, we are cooking as sparingly as possible and saving fuel. The fuel that used to last us 25 days, we are now making it last for 40 days. Okay, okay.”

“The mango I like is in Chennai. Alphonso mango. I like it. Because it's like, very small, easy to eat. So I like that too.”

“So, when I go out with friends, it's many times. So this time when we go out, the fuel charges have increased. Also, our food sizing has all reduced. In other places, the price has increased. But here, they are giving us less food itself. That's a difference I've noticed now.”

“In Tamil Nadu, if you're talking about famous mangoes, it's Sakkarakutti, Alphonse, and then Imam Pasand. Among these, the best is Imam Pasand. Why do I say Imam Pasand is good? Because it doesn't spoil quickly. It's very sweet. It doesn't give a sour or bitter taste. Even if it's unripe, it won't be sour. You can store it well and eat it.”

“The mango that is most found where I live in Chennai is Banganapalli. This year, the mangoes are of very good quality and I am seeing many types of mangoes.”

“Because it's very hot in Chennai, we can't go out anywhere. Because of that, the electricity bill is increasing a lot since everyone is at home. Also, we can't buy many grocery items anywhere outside because it's very sunny. Also, we can't go out to eat anywhere because we don't feel like eating. Because of that, the power goes out at home, and we often fall sick. So, to avoid all this, how are we? We are sitting at home with the AC on, comfortably.”

“Unlike usual, this summer is very terrible. It wasn't like this even this year. I am 75 years old. But I haven't experienced anything like this. The heat, the heat, the sun is terrible. It's very very very hot. I don't know why it's like this. Because the world is changing. People are changing. Even the general public is changing. Because of that, nature itself is changing. I can't cope. Okay? How do you cope? To cope, I feel like I should bathe in cold water, like I should stay in water. So I bathe three times a day and cope.”

“Response 1 - Farmer:This summer has been much hotter than usual. Working in the fields during the afternoon is difficult, so we start work early in the morning and finish before the heat becomes too strong. We drink plenty of water and buttermilk to stay hydrated.Response 2 – Homemaker:The heat inside the house has been uncomfortable, especially in the afternoons. We keep children indoors, drink more water, buttermilk, and tender coconut water, and use fans throughout the day. This summer feels hotter than previous years.Response 3 – Shopkeeper:Customer visits are lower during the afternoon because most people prefer to stay indoors. People usually come to the market in the morning or evening. Many customers say this has been one of the hottest summers in recent years.”

“Response 1:The city of Pattukkottai is known for mango varieties such as Ottu, Malgova, Banganapalli, Imam Pasand, and local Naattu mangoes. The mangoes this year are sweet and of good quality. However, prices are higher than last year, so many people are buying smaller quantities.Response 2:There are many Ottu mango trees in our village. The yield this season has been average, and the fruits have good taste and quality. Due to the high summer temperatures, some mangoes ripened earlier than expected, reducing their shelf life.Response 3:My family usually buys Ottu and Malgova mangoes from the local market. The quality has been good this season, and the fruits are well-sized and sweet. Even though prices have increased, mangoes remain one of the most popular fruits during summer in our area.”

“Response 1 – Homemaker: The price of LPG cylinders has become quite high and affects our monthly budget. Sometimes we think about using a wood-fired stove to save money, but during summer the heat and smoke make it very uncomfortable. We try to use LPG carefully and avoid wastage. Response 2 – Auto Driver: The increase in petrol prices directly affects my daily income. Fuel expenses have gone up, but earnings have not increased at the same rate. I avoid unnecessary trips and plan my routes carefully to reduce fuel consumption. Response 3 – Retired School Teacher: I have not experienced any LPG shortage, but rising fuel prices affect everyone. Transportation costs have increased, and the prices of vegetables and other essential goods have also gone up. Families have to spend more on daily necessities than before”

“There are some bison in this area. We don't know where it goes and where it comes from. So it will be a little difficult for everyone in the evening.”

“Lantana is growing extensively in the middle areas of this garden. The thorns of the lantana plant are pricking the workers and making it difficult for them to move around and work.”

“About a week ago, that tiger was spotted on the rock near this hostel. So now, nobody knows where those tigers came from.”

“My name is Nagarajan, I am from Salem district. Salem district is very famous for mangoes. Many high-quality mangoes are grown here. Varieties like Imam Pasand, Bengaluru, Banganapalli, Malgova, Alphonso are exported from here to local markets, other states, and foreign countries. However, for the past 10 years, due to ripening with pesticides and chemicals, the old taste of mangoes is no longer found. The body also does not get as much nutrition as before. It's not like before.”

“I am a housewife at home. Gas shortage is very difficult for us. If our gas runs out and we book it, it takes 60 days to get it. Even if we book, it takes more than 10-15 days to get it. Also, because it's sold on the black market, we don't get it properly because it's a village. It's very difficult for firewood. Firewood prices have also increased. Due to gas shortage, firewood prices have also increased a lot, so we can't buy that either. Gas shortage is very difficult for us. Cooking itself is very hard. Don't know what to do.”

“My name is Kanagavalli, I am a housewife. There is a lot of sun exposure in our town. So we have problems. Young children are falling ill. Prickly heat boils are occurring frequently. We are reducing body heat by drinking water, coconut water, and eating watermelon. You also eat a lot of fruits.”

“Hello, regarding the summer, the sun is very strong. But since we are in the countryside, we don't feel it much because we work in the village. It's a little, a little more. But because we are farmers, we don't feel it. But I don't know how you people in town are coping, poor things. The sun is indeed very strong this year. I don't know if it will stay like this or how it will be. But we ourselves are drinking a lot of water in the countryside. But even if we farm like that, our farming is not yielding much. The yield is very low. Half of the harvest is wasted due to yellow disease. I don't know how we are going to cope.”

“My name is Kolanjaswamy. I am driving a goods vehicle. Due to cash shortage, if I book, it takes about two months. I can't manage anything. Even if I use a firewood stove, the price of firewood has also gone up. I don't know how to survive, everything is very difficult.”

“My name is Vinitha. I am a housewife. In our Salem, many types of mangoes were available. Since they were on trees within the village itself, many were available. Its varieties include Bangalore Manga, Malgova, Banganapalli, Arisi Manga. Since many varieties like these were available, they gave them for free. So we ate a lot. Because we ate it, its taste and all was good. Since it was nearby, it was like we could quickly buy and eat it.”

“My name is Thanapalu. The cylinder is not easily available. They are making us wait for 45 to 50 days. Since the cylinder is not readily available, we are cooking on other stoves. They are not even providing the cylinder properly. The price has also gone up. It's a bit difficult. Other stoves are also not easily available. We are unable to cook food in any other way. And it's raining like this. It's a bit difficult. I don't know what to do. It would be fine if we got cash easily. All the prices have gone up. Even with increased prices, they are not giving it properly, they are not delivering. Anyway, they are making us wait for 50 to 60 days. It's a bit difficult.”

“If it's cultivation, it includes handloom weaving. But still, we do farming. In our village, mango cultivation is the main occupation. Now, what is being cultivated is that. There are many types of mangoes, but we send them to Salem. We cultivate Bangalore mango, Sendhoora mango, Kilimooku mango, Katti mango, Manjalmatti mango, Kottagachi mango, and so on. But among these mangoes, Sendhoora mango has the highest price. We send them to Salem district, to the market.”

“My name is Senbagam. We do loom work. It's a thatched house, being inside it in the sun is a bit difficult. Because the sun was intense, we drank a lot of water. Then cool drinks, tender coconut, watermelon, we ate many such varieties, only then the heat would be a bit less. As there was no rain, the sun was a bit more intense. To reduce that, if we eat these water-based foods, it will be a bit good and refreshing for the body. We can also stop for a while and operate the loom in the afternoon. Otherwise, operating the loom is a bit difficult.”

“My name is Palanisamy. I am a weaver. This year, the impact of the sun was very high. So we, being from a rural area, ate a lot of palm fruit (nungu). We drank tender coconut water. Besides that, we consumed naturally grown palm candy. We ate these things. We consumed water-rich foods like watermelon, sugarcane juice. We ate these kinds of things to keep our body cool. However, because the heat this year was very intense, we consumed water-rich foods.”