A few minutes of exposure to direct sun during summer afternoons is enough to knock out people who are used to an air-conditioned environment. Eyes burn, the skin sizzles and a headache sets in. But what about people who have to brave the sun day after day just for the sake of their livelihood?
For RTC drivers Krishna and Brahmam say along with the blazing summer air that comes in through the bus window, heat is also emitted from the engine. “We feel the heat burning every part of the body. Even after drinking two to three bottles of water at a time, we feel parched,” they add.
KDM Pasha, a traffic constable in Sangareddy, reports for duty at 8 a.m. and stays on the road until 2 p.m. Since he is in charge of regulating vehicular movement at Inspection Bungalow, an important centre of the town, the summer heat is inescapable. Though some shade has been provided to traffic police personnel, it is not of much use since the roofs are covered with iron sheet.
Unfazed by the sweltering conditions, R. Babu, a 35-year-old artisan in Karimnagar, works on the furnace, sharpening a crowbar. His mother, wife and other family members assist him by adding charcoal to the furnace even as he operates the blower manually. “We are already experiencing above-normal temperatures this summer and are bracing for potential health risks during peak summer. The heat is taking a toll on our livelihood as there are hardly any farmers visiting our makeshift workshop these days,” said Mr Babu, deploring that their artisans’ families were living in makeshift dwellings and waiting for a roof over their heads since long.
O. Satyanarayana Goud, who does welding work by the roadside in Film Nagar, Hyderabad, suffers at least one burn every day as sparks frequently land on his body. “My body is ridden with scars. If the welding work has to be perfect, we have to bear the burns. I have to work by the roadside, under the sun. It is inevitable. So being scared of heat does not work in our favour. I do not even switch on the small fan in my tin shed. If my body gets used to the fan, working in hot conditions will become difficult. I take tea breaks if I feel exhausted,” he says nonchalantly.
Md. Waseem, a young welder on the Collectorate road in Nalgonda town, says the mercury has been soaring, but work cannot come to a standstill. “The daily temperatures, like the cost of raw materials, have been going up. But work orders can’t be postponed as there is everyday rate fluctuation like petrol and diesel. Whether sun or rain, life must go on,” says Waseem, who is also observing Roza as part of Ramzan.
“I installed a shed in front of my workshop three months ago, but that is now removed due to road widening. I am always working in the sun these days,” he says, adding that a chilled water plant located just next to his shop often tempts him, but he quickly reminds himself of his fast.
M. Krishnamurthy, who works at a roadside food stall near Lotus Pond in Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills, gets on with his wok-and-ladle action at 7.30 a.m. and stays put till 3 p.m. “Oil from the pan often spills on my body and the steam hits my face. I have to work with fire. I don’t even feel hungry by the end of cooking. But I can’t sulk about it. All of this is part of what I do for a living, to support my family. Coconut water is costly, so I sip on buttermilk or guzzle down water at regular intervals for relief,” he shares.
E. Babu has been eking out a living as a cobbler for close to three decades. He can be found by the roadside in Rasoolpura, Secunderabad. “I am used to working by the road. If it gets too hot, I look for a shade. After returning from work, a fan at home is not of much help. So, I bathe twice a day. That is the only way to beat the heat. My daily earnings range from ₹120 to ₹200,” he says.
(Additional reporting by B. Pradeep)
