By Pratiti Sasmal, AIDMI, West Bengal, India

Kolkata, an ever-growing metropolitan, characterised by a dense and diverse network of small-scale enterprises, has undergone a significant transformation in its temperature patterns. The very group that sustains the small-scale informal economy in this densely populated city is seen to be bearing the greatest impact of the ever-rising temperatures. The impact is very well understood from the case of Rozida Khatoon.

Rozida Khatoon, a widow residing in Liluah, Kolkata, earns her livelihood by selling steel utensils—a trade she has sustained for over five years, yet with no fixed place but a first-come, first-occupy system operating in her market. When we first engaged with her, we observed her setting up her small roadside shop entirely without any protective shade from the scorching sun. In the course of our interaction, Rozida openly shared the significant challenges she faces. Her income, derived solely from the irregular sale of steel utensils, is unpredictable. Consequently, whatever meagre earnings she manages to generate are carefully reserved almost entirely for her son’s education, leaving practically nothing for other essential needs. The simple necessity of purchasing a shade structure remains sadly out of reach financially.

This distressing financial constraint and the social setup of the market forces Rozida into prolonged, direct exposure to the sweltering sun throughout her long working hours. Given her situation, she feels compelled to remain at her stall even during the peak afternoon temperatures when the heat becomes truly unbearable. For Rozida, closing shop early is not an option; it directly translates to a diminished daily income she simply cannot afford to lose. As a result, it has taken a severe toll on her health. She reported suffering from recurrent heat-related illnesses, such as heat rash, heat cramps, and episodes of heat exhaustion. Rozida described experiencing cramps spreading across her body on a near-daily basis, and on certain days, she also experienced difficulty breathing.

For Rozida Khatoon, falling ill is not an option. Each day absent from her shop translates directly into lost income she desperately needs. Yet, this harsh reality creates a cruel paradox – taking preventative breaks to avoid illness would also mean forfeiting crucial earnings. Furthermore, investing in even basic protective measures to reduce her health risks, like shade or cooling, would require drawing from her meagre and painstakingly accumulated savings, set aside for her son’s future.

Recognising this inescapable and interlinked cycle of vulnerability, where health protection undermines financial security and vice versa, the AIDMI team stepped in to assist Rozida to buy a large plastic sheet serving as a shade cover, which was designed to be movable, allowing her to reposition the protective cover daily as she set up her stall. Rozida states, “This shade is like a blessing. Now, I can sit through the day without fear and can even stay longer to earn a little more, without my body giving up. It seems very simple, but it is strong and effective.”

Rozida Khatoon’s struggle represents how Kolkata’s intensifying urban heat islands overpower its informal workforce. Trapped between health risks and income loss, her vulnerability highlights an urgent need for targeted, context-sensitive solutions. AIDMI’s intervention with a simple, portable shade offers more than relief to Rozida. It demonstrates that practical support can break the inescapable cycle of vulnerability for those powering the city’s economy under the sweltering sun.

Summary

कोलकाता की बढ़ती हीटवेव (गर्मी की लहरें) छोटे पैमाने के श्रमिकों, जैसे कि स्टील के बर्तन बेचने वाली रोज़ीदा खातून, को असमान रूप से प्रभावित करती हैं। सुरक्षात्मक छाया के बिना लंबे समय तक धूप में रहने के कारण उनकी भेद्यता पैदा होती है, जो उन्हें एक विनाशकारी चक्र में फंसा देती है: काम छोड़ने से आय का नुकसान होता है (स्वास्थ्य का धन पर प्रभाव), जबकि सुरक्षात्मक उपाय करने से बचत खत्म हो जाती है (धन का स्वास्थ्य पर प्रभाव)। एआईडीएमआई (AIDMI) ने हस्तक्षेप कर इस चक्र को तोड़ा और एक लाभदायक सायबान प्रदान की।