Delhi: Gig workers reel under extreme heatwave with little support available

NEW DELHI: As the capital reels under an unforgiving heatwave, with temperatures reaching nearly 45°C, the city’s army of gig workers – delivery riders, courier agents, and app-based service providers – find themselves on the frontlines of a crisis with little protection.

For these workers, the harshest hours are between noon and 4 pm, when the sun is at its peak and demand for food and grocery deliveries surges.

“This is the time when orders spike, but it’s also when stepping outside feels like stepping into fire,” says Ramesh, a food delivery rider who spends nearly 10 hours a day on the road.