Today (27 May) marks the third day of Nautapa, with Rajasthan reeling under an intense heatwave. Although the maximum temperature recorded on May 26 was 47°C, the scorching conditions made it feel closer to 50°C.
Amid this extreme heat, heartbreaking scenes have emerged from Sri Ganganagar, the last district on the India-Pakistan border.
By noon, the roads resemble areas under curfew. Yet, from burning highways to brick kilns, labourers continue struggling to earn a living. Their palms are scorched and blisters form on their skin.
When plastic slippers began melting on their feet, many workers crafted wooden footwear for themselves. Wearing these makeshift wooden slippers, they continue working under the blazing afternoon sun to support their families.
Labourer’s helplessness visible amid extreme heat
A visit to a brick kiln located on the Sriganganagar-Hanumangarh State Highway presents a painful picture of survival in extreme heat.
When the Bhaskar team reached the kiln during peak afternoon hours, 42-year-old labourer Chhotelal was standing near the furnace. Instead of rubber or plastic footwear, he was wearing wooden slippers made from thick blocks of wood tied together with pieces of cloth.
When asked why he was wearing them, helplessness was visible in his eyes.
“Sir, the temperature inside the kiln crosses 50°C. If we wear rubber slippers, they melt and stick to our skin. That’s why we made these wooden slippers ourselves,” he said.
Before starting work at the brick kiln, one has to wear wooden sandals. This is the only way they have to protect their feet from the scorching ground.
‘Fire above, furnace below’
Chhotelal described the unbearable conditions faced by kiln workers.
“Fire rains from the sky above, while the kiln burns below. We remain trapped in between. But if we stop working, how will the household survive? How will we feed our children? Poor people do not even have the right to complain about the heat,” he said.
Hands burn while handling bricks
A short distance away, labourer Lallan Singh was seen shaping raw bricks and laying them out to dry. His clothes were soaked in sweat, and the perspiration running down his forehead was not drying in the intense heat.
“When we touch baked bricks at 46°C, our hands burn and blisters appear. But these bricks made from this soil are supplied across Rajasthan. Our blood and sweat are mixed into them. We have to endure the heat to run our households,” he said.
In the scorching afternoon, when people are confined to their homes, workers at brick kilns are busy arranging for two meals a day.
Canal waters become the only relief
While the streets of Sri Ganganagar fall silent after noon and grain markets become deserted, a different scene unfolds near the Gang Canal and the Indira Gandhi Canal. During lunch hours, labourers from nearby warehouses and children from surrounding settlements were seen jumping into the ‘Teen Pulia A-Minor’ canal to escape the unbearable heat.
One labourer working at a warehouse said, “Water parks and swimming pools are not meant for people like us. This canal is our swimming pool. When our bodies start burning in the afternoon heat, we sit in the water for half an hour. That is our only relief before returning to work in the evening.”
In the afternoon, when the sky rains fire, the canal water provides relief.
Curfew-like conditions for five hours
Movement in Sriganganagar city continues normally only until around 11 am. After that, the roads wear a deserted look similar to curfew conditions. People largely avoid stepping outdoors until after 5 pm.
Due to the severe heat, labourers working at the grain market stop work after noon and resume only after 4 pm. Despite the harsh conditions, several efforts are being made in Sriganganagar to provide relief to residents and labourers.
In Sriganganagar, people are only coming out of their homes until 11 AM. In the afternoon, the streets become like a curfew.
Due to the severe heat, labourers working at the grain market stop work after noon and resume only after 4 pm. Despite the harsh conditions, several efforts are being made in Sriganganagar to provide relief to residents and labourers.
Water Sprinkling on Roads
The district administration is spraying water on roads using fire brigade vehicles during the afternoon to reduce the heat radiating from the asphalt.
Gurdwaras and social organisations have also stepped forward to help people across the city. Passersby are being offered chilled sweetened water, while temporary cold-water camps have been set up outside the Collectorate building.
In Sriganganagar, water arrangements have been made at various places so that no passerby remains thirsty.
