As temperatures soar past 50°C in parts of India, outdoor workers like Rahul Kumar, a delivery boy at Ghaziabad’s Blinkit dark store, face relentless challenges. “When we go for deliveries, the whole body heats up, and I feel very weak,’ Rahul explains. ‘After 12 o’clock, it gets so hot that working in the sun becomes unbearable, causing body pain and making me long for the evening or night when it cools down.”
India is currently experiencing its longest recorded heatwave, with severe impacts across the nation. Odisha reported eight deaths within 72 hours due to the heat, and from March to May, heat-related illnesses claimed 60 lives, though this number is likely underestimated, especially in rural areas.
In northern India, temperatures have consistently ranged between 45-50°C since mid-May. Officials advise staying indoors or in shaded areas during peak sun hours and avoiding heavy physical activity from noon to 4 p.m. to mitigate heat-related illnesses. However, many outdoor workers, such as auto drivers in Delhi, cannot afford to take these precautions due to financial necessity. Their work must continue despite the heat, impacting their health and reducing their income as fewer people choose to go outside or use services like auto-rickshaws.
This situation is especially precarious for India’s large informal workforce, which constitutes about 82% of all workers, with nearly 90% being informally employed. These workers are disproportionately affected by extreme weather conditions without adequate protections or alternatives.
Watch our report to learn more about how the ongoing heatwave is impacting outdoor workers across India.
