Monsoon and Summer: The Two Seasons That Test Waste Pickers the Most

Most Delhi residents experience monsoon as traffic on the Ring Road and summer as an AC bill. For a waste picker, the same seasons are a calendar of medical emergencies.

Summer (April–June): Heat, Dehydration, and Burns

By May, the ambient dry-bulb temperature in East Delhi routinely crosses 44°C. A waste picker walking a 12-kilometre collection round with a jute sack on her back experiences heat stress far above what that number suggests — the effective working temperature on a sun-heated tarmac often exceeds 50°C.

• Dehydration and heat stroke are the leading warm-season presentations at our Aarogyam camps
• Old burns from slagged plastic sorted near informal burn pits are common on hands and forearms
• Children who accompany their parents are most at risk — their thermoregulation is less efficient

What we do: Starting each April we run ORS distribution rounds, hand out reflective caps and cotton gamchas, and shift the timing of our CLC afternoon shift earlier. Partner shopkeepers are asked to keep water jugs visible on the pavement.

Monsoon (July–September): Waterlogging, Vectors, and Infections

Monsoon is even more dangerous. Bastis on low-lying land flood within hours of heavy rain. Dumps become anaerobic. Mosquitos multiply in stagnant scrap pools. Common presentations:

• Dengue and malaria — peak August–September
• Leptospirosis from wading through contaminated water in open sandals
• Typhoid and acute gastroenteritis from water-source contamination
• Skin and fungal infections from prolonged damp

What we do: Point-of-care dengue/malaria kits are stocked in every camp from July. We run fogging drives with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and distribute mosquito nets to families with children under five. For leptospirosis, we advocate gumboots and hand gloves where the family can afford or accept them.

Why Preparedness Matters More Than Response

Every rupee spent pre-seasonally — ORS, nets, footwear, dewormer, typhoid vaccines for children — is roughly five rupees saved in post-seasonal hospital admissions. Our annual seasonal-readiness drive runs twice: Summer Ready in late March and Monsoon Ready in late June.

How You Can Help This Season

Ready-to-ship contributions we actively need:

• Bulk ORS sachets, paracetamol, zinc, oral rehydration salts
• Mosquito nets (treated, single- or double-bed)
• Cotton reflective caps and hand gloves
• Cash donations that we convert to region-specific needs

If you or your company would like to underwrite one season's preparedness in a specific basti, a budget of ₹75,000 covers a full Summer Ready or Monsoon Ready cycle for approximately 200 families. Get in touch.