Structural neglect forces Delhi's informal workers to endure extreme heat without safety
Original framing: “Survival before safety for Delhi's poor as temperatures hit 45C” — BBC News - World
Informal workers in Delhi, particularly women and Dalits, report that they cannot afford to stop working during heatwaves. Their voices are rarely included in climate policy discussions, despite being the most affected.
Delhi’s heat crisis is not a natural disaster but a systemic failure rooted in colonial urban planning, neoliberal labor policies, and the erasure of traditional knowledge.
Indigenous cooling practices, cross-cultural models from cities like Ahmedabad, and the voices of informal workers offer a path forward. By integrating these perspectives into policy, Delhi can transform its urban environment into a more just and resilient space. The trickster in this story is the absurdity of a city that burns while its workers are left to sweat. To cool the city, we must first cool the structures of power.