The temperature of the city is giving tough time to the daily wage earners. They are suffering from dehydration, fever, heatstroke and headache but they have no other option but to deal with it.

Amit Kumar, a roadside tailor who sits with his sewing machine under an umbrella on the Boring Canal Road footpath of the Boring Road waits for people to bring him small stitching jobs, such as alteration of trousers, or blouses. He says, “I come here at 11:00 O’ clock.  Although it has already become very hot at that time, I put an umbrella over my head to save myself from the sun. Due to heat, very few customers come out during the day, and those who come for shopping are generally in a hurry.” says Amit, who depends on customers who want ready-made clothes quickly altered. ” Even though it is hot, it is because of the wedding season; people are coming for alteration or stitching”.

He added, this temperature! We can’t run from the sun. I try to take care of myself and drink lots of water, coconut water and eat kakri (cucumber) to maintain my body temperature.

Ravindra Kumar, a resident of Kurji is a roof maker by profession. He says “Due to the temperature it is not possible for us to work the whole day and especially in the afternoon. We start our work from 7 or 8 in the morning and take 2 to 3 hours of rest in the afternoon and then again work from 3:30 till 8 or 9 at night. Due to the high temperature we are also getting sick and we have regular headache these days.

Jagjit Kumar, a vegetable vendor said “ In the morning, I go around selling vegetables door to door because in many houses people buy fresh vegetables in the morning for cooking and as the temperature increases, I go back home. In the evening again I take my thela (handcart) to Gosai Tola where a good number of people come for buying vegetable”.

The temperature is also making our vegetables dry. I keep on sprinkling water on it. Some vegetables also get rotten due to the heat.  Yes, temperature is a challenge for us but we have to make a way out, he added.

Also, there are some people who are doing a good work in this summer such as Agarwal family has installed a water pyau, on the footpath of East Boring Canal road, for the people to drink water.

They have installed two taps with proper cemented basin with steel glasses outside the house for the passing by people to quench their thirst in this burning heat. Not only for humans but they have also made an open pyau for birds and animals.

Of course, there are some people who enjoy summer because of summer holidays but for common men it is not a laughing matter.

  heat wave, Patna, water