Severe heat waves have impacted India since April, presenting difficult choices for many of the country’s essential workers. From street vendors using large umbrellas for shade near Jama Masjid in New Delhi to construction workers and delivery drivers, the heat has shaped daily life.
Decisions Under the Sun
Sunil Rastogi, an auto-rickshaw driver in New Delhi, typically works a 12-hour day. He needs to save for heart surgery. As summer temperatures rise past 100 degrees, Rastogi faces a tough decision. Should he reduce his working hours, impacting his family’s income and delaying his surgery, or should he continue working and risk worsening his health?
“I feel tired as it is,” Rastogi said recently. “The heat makes me even more tired.”
This dilemma affects millions of workers like him. Wage laborers, street vendors, and others keep New Delhi moving, yet endure the harshest conditions.
The Physical Toll of High Temperatures
The Center for Science and Environment, a think tank in New Delhi, reports that ground surface temperatures can hit 140 degrees on the hottest days. Tarmac softens, posing risks to workers without protective footwear.
Images of workers cooling down with soft drinks hint at these daily struggles, yet they do not capture the full scope of challenges faced during summer months.
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