BLAZING SUN IS ON

Rising temperatures are testing the limits of human tolerance to heat. With their predominantly built-up landscape, urban areas offer no respite. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment on the morphology and heat patterns of nine Indian cities over the past decade shows how these urban centres are turning into heat islands with a potentially serious impact on human health. An analysis by Rajneesh Sareen, Mitashi Singh and Nimish Gupta, with Shagun in Haryana and Kiran Pandey

- Akshit Sangomla and Rohini Krishnamurthy

BIRESH KUMAR, a 38-year-old labourer, works at least six hours in the sun every day. Though it is only mid-April-early days of summer in north India-the afternoon temperatures hover around 38°C in Bhopani, the village in Haryana's Faridabad district where Kumar works at a brick kiln. When the summer peaks in May-June, the mercury will likely cross 40°C. "I feel like I'm trapped in a heat island. But I have to work to repay a debt I owe to the labour contractor," says Kumar.

Sitting on a cot under a tree at some distance is Kumar's co-worker Somveer. For the past two days, Somveer has had body ache, weakness and fever, which have forced him to miss work and, as a result, forego his wage. He does not know the reason for his condition, but says it could be due to constantly working under the sun. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, US, recommends that those who work in the heat should consume 237 ml of water every 15-20 minutes. But for workers like Kumar and Somveer, that would mean more breaks and missed targets, resulting in a loss of wage. Neeraj Kaushik, medical officer in-charge at the government hospital in Kheri Kalan that Somveer and Biresh have access to, says he sees several labourers with complaints of fainting episodes. "They are weak and dehydrated, with severely chapped lips. If they have comorbidities, like diabetes, it becomes an emergency situation. If their vitals are weak, it takes a long time to resuscitate them," he says.