"‘Most earnings spent on buying water’: Outdoor workers bear brunt of Delhi heat", 23 May 2026

As Delhi sweltered through another day of extreme temperatures …, thousands of workers across the city continued their shifts outdoors. By early afternoon, the pavement outside Dilli Haat began to simmer in the heat…

A plastic bottle filled with warm water sat beside her jewellery display. “When my head starts heating up too much, I use my sari to cover it as I cannot afford any new clothes,” she told …

…, Delhi recorded a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. Hot winds moved through the city at 13 kmph, while humidity stayed low at 13%. This made the afternoon air dry and harsh. The weather department has forecast even hotter conditions on Saturday and Sunday, with the maximum temperature likely to reach nearly 46 degrees Celsius.

For those who work indoors, the heat often means discomfort and higher electricity bills. But for thousands of people across Delhi whose jobs keep them outdoors or in poorly ventilated workplaces, the rising temperatures shape every part of the day. This is when they eat, how much water they can afford, how long they can rest, and whether they can continue working while sick.

At traffic lights, markets, Metro stations and factories, workers say the summer months bring exhaustion that they cannot escape because missing work means losing income.

… Farman Ali, 29, begins most afternoons on a motorcycle with a delivery bag strapped to his back. A gig worker for the past four years, he says some of the hardest hours are between noon and 4 pm, when roads radiate heat and most people avoid stepping outside. Yet these are also the hours tied to delivery incentives.

… He says fevers and headaches caused by heat have become routine among delivery workers. “Working with a fever due to heat is a common experience,” he added…