This is how the other half makes it through summer

Rickshaw pullers, labourers and slum dwellers face many problems in this season

Ratan Lal has a roof over his head at night, but he dreads the summer days. He has to brave the sun simmering right above his head as he pedals his rickshaw in west Delhi to earn a living. 

An increase in the day’s temperature is inversely proportional to his earnings, says the 58-year-old.

This is unlike the fate of some other younger rickshaw pullers who happen to mint more money when the mercury rises and people prefer to hire rickshaws even for short distances. Lal is old and has little stamina left. 

He says he needs to take fluids every few minutes on hot summer days to keep pedalling.That, however, is an expensive affair for Lal as even a glass of water sold at the roadside carts costs Rs 2. 

He gets a two-litre water bottle filled at these stalls for Rs 15, but that barely stays cool beyond half an hour. So he prefers to carry fewer passengers in summer.Some rickshaw pullers wrap their bottles with wet cloth to keep the water cool for longer. 

Some others have bookmarked places with free water service in their area of operation. 

A few go for other ‘jugaads’ to beat the heat. Shankar Prasad who works in west Delhi’s Janakpuri area has fixed an umbrella on his rickshaw to provide some comfort.

For those with jobs that require physical labour or those who lack the basic facilities at home, summer in the city is a terror. They look for every possible option to keep cool.

Sohan Kumar, a factory worker in west Delhi’s Vishnu Garden, once travelled to and fro on the Blue Line of Delhi Metro just to pass his day in an air-conditioned environment. 

He now visits malls in the city during his weekly offs. The weekdays are easier to pass as work keeps him occupied. 

“I eat at the stalls outside the malls but spend the entire day inside,” says Sohan. He buys nothing and just whiles away his time sitting with his friends at a table in the malls’ food courts. 

To appear presentable and not draw unwarranted attention, he and his friends dress well.

He remembers a couple of friends who slept in an ATM booth located near their rented accommodation. “It went well for a few days until police ordered them to keep away,” says Sohan.

Around two dozen people putting up near Tihar Jail are not as lucky as Sohan. Working as daily wage labourers, they stay in tents devoid of electricity or water connection. They store water in large drums and are miserly when it comes to using it.

When bath is a luxury

“Not everyone in the family can afford to take bath everyday with the limited water available. So the male members of the family are given preference as they are the ones sweating it out in the daytime,” says Radha who stays back with his little children.

But it is the lack of electricity supply which really makes summers difficult. Once the men return from work, all of them assemble and sing for a couple of hours till they begin to doze off. 

This helps them sleep without feeling the need for a fan, they say. The summer hurts these people even more when they see themselves deprived as compared to more fortunate people. 

Autorickshaw driver Jaggi says he curbs his desire to sip coconut water or drink a shikanji so that he can save a few rupees.

“There are times when my passenger stops to have coconut water. I have money in my pocket and I know I too can buy a coconut, but I satisfy myself with just plain water so that I can save what I earned,” says Jaggi.