Jai Singh -
Jai Singh, 45 years old, moved to Delhi more than two decades ago from Rajasthan. Faced with abject poverty back at home, he came to the city in search of economic opportunities. Since his arrival, Jai has worked in the construction sector as a labourer, barely supporting his three dependents. Construction work, whether outdoors or indoors, creates dual challenges for Jai Singh.
“When we get work, it’s both outdoors and indoors. Outdoors become challenging – it’s because of the direct sun exposure. However, even indoors work, we have problems as there’s usually no fan. Especially if it is a new construction site, then who will put a fan for us? Even indoors, we feel the heat. It feels suffocating. Sometimes we feel choked, we feel trapped. When we feel thirsty, there’s no water nearby. If we want to relieve ourselves, there’s no proper place. They tell us ‘don’t do it here,’ but where else can we go? So we have no choice.”
Jai Singh shared that health issues due to this type of work, such as headaches, dizziness and fainting, are rampant. This adds a burden on his income.
“Income has a double effect. Suppose I work today and fall sick tomorrow. Then I can’t go to work and earn, and still have to spend money on treatment.”
He recalled a health issue that he faced during extreme heat that he did not have the means to address.
“Earlier I worked in Dharampur, I had a blood clot from working in extreme heat. They told me to have cold drinks, water, and coconut water. But coconut water costs ₹50. I couldn’t afford that.”
In the absence of social protections for workers like Jai Singh, they lack any means to cope with the increasing heat. Jai Singh mentioned that income support by the government would really help his family during this period, “If we could also get some unemployment allowance (berozgari ka bhatta), that would really help.”
Seema -
Seema moved to Delhi with her father over two decades ago, settled down in the city, and got married. Prior to giving birth, she had a stable factory job but eventually quit to take care of her child. However, over time, her family’s financial distress increased and Seema found another job, this time as a daily wage worker for different factories. At the workplace, Seema faces terrible working conditions which worsen during extreme heat.
She says, “It gets very hot. When we pick up the pieces, it feels hotter. We feel dizzy and go to drink water. The supervisor tells us, ‘You’re not working, then leave. So we have to go home.” Working conditions, coupled with a lack of rest time during long shifts, are brutal. When we go to the factory, they don’t give us enough time. We have to work at least eight hours, but even then there’s no drinking water. When we go to drink water, they tell us to hurry up. If we go to the bathroom, they call us back. Earlier we could sit while working, but now they make us stand the whole time — standing 12 hours is very hard.”
Yet, Seema avoids complaining or demanding too much from her employers – there are limited job opportunities available. Seema and her family’s challenges further intensify at home with health issues and compromised nutrition during extreme heat. She mentioned that the food she cooks often spoils during the summers, as her family cannot afford a refrigerator. Health issues are rampant which often lead to increased financial burdens on the household. She explains,
“Everything gets worse in the heat. Headache, piles, everything is because of heat. But we don’t have much money. If we go to a private hospital, it’s ₹500 to ₹700 just to see a doctor - even more at some places. If you go to quacks then there is risk of more infection. If I don’t get treatment at the government hospital, I buy medicine from a medical shop. If I don’t have money, I borrow from neighbours.”
These impacts cause havoc in the lives of workers like Seema who already face extreme financial insecurity. She barely has any ways to cope without increasing her family’s financial challenges. She concludes,
“We can’t change the weather. But if we earned more, we could buy better food: curd, milk, vegetables, things that help in the heat. Right now even a half-litre of milk costs Rs. 35. If we earned better, life would improve. If we earn well, we eat well, and then we can handle the weather better.”
