The afternoon sun hangs heavily over the roads of Delhi and NCR, but for 48 year-old rickshaw puller Ramesh, stopping work is not an option. Sweat drips constantly from his forehead as he pedals through traffic under temperatures touching nearly 40 degrees Celsius. Every few minutes, he wipes his face with a faded towel wrapped around his neck. ‘If I stop working, my children will suffer,’ he says quietly when his rickshaw comes under the shade of a flyover for a few moments of relief.
Large parts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and several other countries are currently witnessing heatwaves with temperatures crossing 45 and even 50 degree celsius in some regions. Scientists warn that rising global temperatures are making such heatwaves longer, more frequent and sometimes deadly than before.
This intense and prolonged heatwave turns daily life into a struggle for millions of people. From crowded cities to drought-hit villages, the rising temperatures seriously affect workers, farmers, children, the elderly and delivery boys in ways that are becoming impossible to ignore.
In many Indian cities, roads appear deserted in the afternoon as people try to stay indoors even though they have many works to undertake. Hospitals report increasing cases of dehydration, heat exhaustion, dizziness and breathing problems. Doctors say outdoor workers remain the most vulnerable because they spend long hours directly under the sun.
For street vendors the heat also becomes a financial crisis. Ramdhan, a street vendor in Noida Extension sells fruits on a roadside cart. He says, the extreme weather keeps customers away during the daytime. ‘Earlier summers were hot too, but now the heat feels unbearable,’ He says while pouring water over his head from a plastic bottle. ‘Sometimes the fruits get spoiled before I can even sell them, making it financially very tough to continue working like this.’
The heatwave is also putting enormous pressure on electricity and water supplies. In several areas, people are facing power cuts just when fans and coolers are needed the most. Water tankers become a common sight in several neighbourhoods as groundwater levels continue to fall.
Water shortage is making the summer heat more unbearable across many regions. As temperatures continue to rise, people start struggling not only with extreme heat but also with limited access to drinking water. Dry taps, shrinking reservoirs and frequent power cuts are worsening daily life, especially for the poor, farmers and vulnerable communities.
In rural areas, the situation is equally alarming. Farmers in parts of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states say crops dry faster due to intense heat and lack of moisture in the soil. Many worry that another season of erratic weather may push them deeper into debt.
Urban heat islands are intensifying climate change impacts across South Asia, especially in cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Karachi, Dhaka, Lahore and a few others. Rapid urbanisation, concrete structures, shrinking green cover and rising vehicular pollution are trapping heat and pushing temperatures to dangerous levels. These cities normally witness severe heatwaves, water shortages, air pollution and increased health risks, particularly for outdoor workers, children and the elderly.
Children and elderly people are particularly at risk. Schools in some regions have reduced outdoor activities or have given early summer vacation because of the scorching sun and rising temperatures, while parents struggle to protect children from dehydration and heat-related illnesses. Doctors during these months advise people to avoid going out during peak afternoon hours, drink plenty of water and remain indoors whenever possible.
For millions of daily wage earners, staying indoors is a luxury which they cannot afford. As evening slowly approaches, they prepare to resume work after a brief pause either under a tree or some covered public places in the afternoon. Even during evenings the roads appear radiating heat and the hot winds feel like air from a furnace. Yet rickshaw-pullers climb back onto their cycle and street vendors go out to sail their fruits and vegetables because a day of lost income is simply not possible for them. For them, climate change is no longer a distant environmental debate, it is hurting their lives and livelihood. It is a harsh reality felt every day under the burning sun.
Environmental experts believe such extreme weather events are no longer isolated incidents. Rising global temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions are changing weather patterns across the world. With its dense population and large number of outdoor workers, South Asia is considered one of the most climate vulnerable regions. Finally, shrinking green spaces are also creating a lot of trouble for people on the road in urban areas as cities struggle to cope with extreme weather and worsening environmental conditions.
