Feeling the Heat

A visit to a few bastis in Delhi proved that women are disproportionately impacted by climate change

- Swati Subhedar

NAVIGATING through Pehalwan Chowk in Batla House in South Delhi was like being in a maze. The narrow lanes with small shops, eateries and residential buildings on either side, the open drains, the piles of garbage, slushy “roads”, and the incessant blaring of horns left us dizzy. Yet, we kept walking in the direction of the banks of the Yamuna—following the stench—in search of stories; to meet people, particularly women, who are bearing the brunt of climate change, and who, despite not knowing the magnitude of the crisis or its root cause, are disproportionately impacted by it.

A few men followed us—the “media waale”—urging us to highlight their issues. Women stepping out of their houses to buy cans of drinking water looked at us curiously—it was humid, and we were drenched in sweat.

A little ahead—in an area known as “bees foota”—the lanes became narrower and government apathy was even more apparent. A few children led us to the basti that had come up on the banks of a non-existent Yamuna—the river here was visible only in patches; the remaining area was all slush and mud. On the left, there was a nearly three-foot tall pile of garbage that had accumulated on the banks after a downpour on June 28. Mosquitoes and flies were buzzing around; the stench was unbearable. “We can’t eat even one morsel without feeling nauseous,” said Regina Khatoon, 40.

Originally from Bihar, she moved to Delhi two years ago after her husband remarried. She lives in a tiny room with her three children—her elder son, 18, is mentally challenged; her daughter is 15 and her younger son is 11. Their educational journey came to an abrupt halt during the pandemic, and it ended after they moved to Delhi.