Banda/Lucknow, May 20 -- Banda in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh has repeatedly made the headlines for its record-breaking heat, which has altered daily life in the district.

So intense is the heat that by 10 every morning, Banda shuts down. The situation has prompted Lakhan Gupta, a jeweller with one of the larger shops in Attara town of the district to leave home at 6am and finish most of his work before the heat settles over the district. Suppliers are called early. Meetings are wrapped up before the sun turns harsh. By 9, he is back. By 10, the road outside is empty.

The shutters of his shop remain open, but customers rarely come before evening.

"Since April, I have sold almost nothing," Gupta says.

"After 1...