Trees can cool neighbourhoods by between 2°C and 12°C. And though Noida, just under 50 km from New Delhi, may boast 726 parks and 800 kilometres of green belt, its cooling infrastructure is unevenly distributed. The city’s pockets of shade and greenery are often concentrated in affluent enclaves, far from the dark stores, construction sites and arterial roads where gig workers spend much of their day.Take Shajid, a gig worker who makes delivery runs in Greater Noida’s Patwari. His service platform’s 10-minute guarantees see him racing against the clock, shuttling between Blinkit dark stores and delivery destinations on his two-wheeler, pushing through traffic, speeding or breaking red lights, all under the harsh Noida sun — where temperatures can reach a staggering 46°C. For workers like him, relief is fleeting: a few minutes in the air-conditioned lobbies of upscale residential towers while waiting for an elevator.
“Gig and domestic workers, and people who have to be in the public arena have no place to rest. In the afternoon, some parks in the city are locked.”Avani ChokshiLabour lawyer
Gig workers of Swiggy taking a break
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
