In Heatwave Hell, Long-Term Solutions For The Homeless Become Crucial In India

In the scorching 42-degree heat near Kalupur railway station in Ahmedabad, Rafeeq, a homeless rickshaw puller, seemed shelter beneath a tarpaulin draped over a nearby tree, his two children by his side. "They hardly sleep before 3 or 4 in the morning," he said. "Just yesterday, the younger one battled diarrhoea, kept us up all night. I barely managed to get them to sleep. Missing work is not an option, as I am the sole provider. The strain is immense, often leaving me nauseous and vomiting after a gruelling shift," he noted.

Rafeeq's health worsened from prolonged heat exposure affecting his ability to work and his children's well-being. Homeless individuals are vulnerable several folds more compared to informal workers with ID proof and shelter. Despite occasional mapping, they remain unrecognised and lack access to work, housing, or ID proofs crucial for government welfare schemes. 

During extreme heatwaves, many of the homeless face this harsh reality, not only in Ahmedabad but in other cities of the country as well. The lack of basic amenities and limited healthcare access adds to their daily struggles across different regions.

The April 1, 2024 report of the India Meteorological Department predicted multiple "above normal heatwave days" from April to June across the country. A heatwave occurs when temperatures reach levels hazardous to human health. These events are defined by temperature thresholds, typically ranging from 4.5 to 6.5 degrees Celsius above the normal range for a region.

A study conducted by Housing Rights Law Network, Delhi found the effects of extreme heat are even more pronounced on the homeless. Almost everyone living on the streets reported experiencing sleeplessness.

The homeless suffer numerous heat-related effects, including heatstroke, weakness, increased vector-borne diseases, eye ailments, diarrhoea, rashes and irritation, restlessness, breathing trouble, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, dehydration, high blood pressure, headaches, fever, coughing, cholera, frequent nosebleeds, loss of appetite, stomachaches, and infections. Elevated temperatures and an increase in vectors make finding safe outdoor sleeping arrangements even more challenging while heightening health risks from food spoilage and contamination.

Hundreds of thousands like Rafeeq struggle as their workplace and residence are both on the street. "Regular visits to doctors with no free health access make it thousands of times more difficult. If we had some documents, we could at least go to a physical health centre, but even that is not an option," he added.

About 60 per cent of the unidentified bodies found during the summer are from among the homeless. While the biggest toll of high heat exposure on the homeless is on their health, there are other challenges at play.

Policy And Planning At The Intersections Of Homeless And Climate Change

The 2021 report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified India as among the countries most vulnerable to the consequences of the climate crisis. Projections indicate the country will witness more prolonged and frequent heatwaves of heightened intensity in future, magnifying the risks for the poor. 

Since 2013, over 100 heat action plans have been drafted by states, districts, and cities to mitigate the effects of extreme temperatures. Eight years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government issued guidelines to accelerate the adoption of these policies. In January, the National Disaster Management Authority pledged to enhance preparedness.

Mitashi Singh, Programme Manager of the Sustainable Habitat Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, highlights the abundance of heat action plans but criticises their lack of focus on vulnerable populations, particularly the poor, children, senior citizens, and homeless individuals. Singh says these groups should be given top priority in ensuring their safety and well-being during extreme heat events.

Additionally, Singh points out the prevailing post-disaster approach to addressing the needs of the poor, highlighting a lack of proactive, anticipatory, and preventive measures. This critique underscores the need for a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to urban climate resilience planning.

The heat action plans fail to address the needs of the homeless, and policies for the homeless are not considered climate issues. During extreme events like the recent deaths in Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Kolkata, responses have been predominantly reactive.

While urban planning innovations such as 'Rain Baseras' (night shelters) have emerged to provide shelter against extreme weather conditions, they serve more as reactive responses than preventive measures.

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board's (DUSIB) shelters for the homeless have been critiqued for their inadequacy, particularly during heatwaves when bringing individuals to shelters often comes too late, with adverse impacts on their physical and mental well-being.

City-level vulnerability assessments are a great tool, Kolkata has done it. This can be done at the ward level and an inventory of people living in the area - their conditions and vulnerability, including climate vulnerability can be made. People under thatch, bamboo roofs are also vulnerable to such extreme weather conditions and the assessment should be designed to take them into account.

Vulnerability assessments can help localise issues by studying the impact of heat on the vulnerable population and preparedness to combat it. Thus, access to roofing, water and cooling mechanisms can be integrated under it. This would allow decision makers to make decisions more localised. Mapping is very critical as the second step is recognition, central to social protection. 

Mitashi Singh highlights the importance of city-level vulnerability assessments in crafting policies at the intersections of homelessness and climate. 

Drawing from Kolkata's example, Singh suggests conducting assessments at the ward level to understand the living conditions and vulnerabilities of residents, especially those in informal shelters like thatch and bamboo structures. By focusing on localised vulnerabilities, policymakers can prepare better and provide essential resources such as roofing, water, and cooling mechanisms. 

Mapping, Recognising And Social Protection An Approach?

Singh emphasises the critical role of mapping and recognition in shaping effective social protection measures, advocating for decision-makers to adopt a more localised approach to address these pressing urban challenges.

"Addressing the social protection needs of the homeless is imperative, considering the systemic barriers they face in accessing government schemes due to lack of documentation such as Aadhaar, bank accounts, or PAN cards. This exclusion underscores the urgency of adopting social protection measures tailored to their unique circumstances.

"Including homeless individuals in policy frameworks presents a complex challenge. For instance, the Kathputli Colony in Delhi exemplifies this complexity, where households residing there before 2014 were only eligible for allocation, highlighting the issue of a cut-off date," she said.  This challenge persists in many other areas, where lack of documentation poses a barrier to inclusion. The absence of a robust mechanism for verification worsens the problem, with no comprehensive mapping or recognition system in place, she added.

Seeing a glimmer of hope in recent initiatives in Telangana, Singh said, "By providing household units to all, regardless of documentation status, the state set a positive precedent for inclusive housing policies."