Delhi Slum Residents Document Extreme Heat to Push Policy Change

In the north-east Delhi slum of Sunder Nagri, 40 households are recording their experiences of increasingly long and intense heatwaves in a “garmi khata” (heat registry). Gulshan, a 39-year-old mother of four, uses a desert cooler sparingly to save electricity and dampens clothing before bedtime; her family now suffers from rashes and a skin infection. Arshi, 19, lives in a one-room home with five relatives, studies remotely at Delhi University, and earns about 150 rupees (? £1.17) a day making decorative tassels. She sometimes visits the university library to escape the heat. Raja, 21, sells vegetables from a pushcart and faces temperatures up to 45 °C, rapid spoilage of produce, and reduced foot traffic, forcing him to sleep on his roof in May for any relief. The diaries ask about daily routines, work, home conditions, mood and family health, creating a granular picture of heat-related hardship.

The Guardian

Residents who mapped their neighbourhood found ground temperatures exceeding 54 °C (129 °F) on some streets. Satellite analysis shows land-surface temperatures of nearly 44 °C in the south-west district of Mahipalpur, while the upmarket suburb of Vasant Kunj, only about 2 miles (3 km) away, recorded roughly 37 °C. Inside Arshi’s brick house, the ambient air temperature measured 29.3 °C (85 °F) with relative humidity at 84.6 %, producing a “feels-like” temperature of 36.3 °C (97 °F).

The Guardian

Greenpeace India researcher Nibedita Saha explains that the diaries aim to “move beyond just the numbers.” Unni, a project coordinator, argues that the testimonies could help shape urban-resilience policies but notes that Indian cities lack the administrative capacity for decentralized action. The diaries have been submitted to India’s National Human Rights Commission, urging recognition of extreme heat as a human-rights issue. Farooq says the team will share the testimonies with ministries, policymakers and MPs to push for targeted measures and to develop evidence for potential lawsuits, citing the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling that protection from severe climate impacts is part of the right to life. On 4 August, the Indian government added heatwaves to the list of nationally notified disasters, enabling states to draw on emergency relief funds. Unni and Farooq say it would be ideal if those funds supported locally-led actions informed by community participation.

The Guardian

By documenting health impacts, rising electricity costs and coping strategies, the heat diaries provide data that can inform compensation schemes, improve cooling infrastructure and guide future heat-action plans. Arshi expresses optimism that even modest government assistance—such as subsidies for medical or electricity expenses—would represent a tangible win for residents confronting Delhi’s escalating heat.

The Guardian