Core Demand of the Question
- Climate change as environmental + governance + equity crisis in cities
- Disproportionate impact on informal sector and sanitation workers
- Way Forward
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Answer
Introduction
Climate change in Indian cities is no longer confined to rising temperatures or extreme weather events; it has evolved into a deeper crisis of urban governance and social inequity. The impacts of heatwaves, flooding, and environmental degradation are disproportionately borne by informal workers and sanitation staff, revealing systemic failures in urban planning, labour protection, and service delivery.
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Climate Change as a Governance Crisis
- Fragmented urban planning and weak integration : Climate action, labour welfare, and public health operate in silos. Lack of convergence between municipal corporations, health departments, and disaster management authorities weakens resilience.
Eg: Urban climate plans often focus on emissions reduction but ignore occupational heat safety for workers.
- Infrastructure deficit and uneven service delivery : Drainage, housing, and sanitation systems remain inadequate in informal settlements. Absence of climate-resilient infrastructure (cool roofs, green cover, permeable surfaces) worsens heat stress.
Eg: Poor drainage in low-income urban clusters increases flood exposure during extreme rainfall events
- Weak implementation of heat action and resilience plans : Policies exist but lack enforcement and worker-centric design.
Eg: While the NDMA’s 2025–2026 Heatwave Guidelines formally recommend mandatory 20-minute paid cooling breaks per two hours of logged work and peak-hour work suspensions (11 AM to 4 PM), these lack a statutory, binding mandate under the Factories Act or State Labor Codes.
Impact on Informal Sector
- Occupational exposure without protection : Street vendors, construction workers, waste collectors face direct exposure to heat and pollution. Lack of employer accountability increases occupational risk burden
Eg: Outdoor informal workers face heat stress leading to dehydration and reduced productivity.
- Housing and settlement vulnerability : Informal settlements amplify climate risks due to poor infrastructure.
Eg: Overcrowding and poor ventilation increase heat-related illness risk in slums
- Limited social protection coverage : Workers often excluded from insurance, pensions, and welfare schemes.
Eg: Migrant labourers face documentation barriers in accessing urban welfare entitlements.
Impact on Sanitation Workers
- Dual exposure (workplace + living conditions) : Constant exposure to waste, toxic gases, and extreme heat. Absence of protective gear and mechanisation increases health risks.
Eg: Drain cleaners face both occupational hazards and extreme heat stress simultaneously.
- Health system disconnect : Limited access to occupational health services and preventive care.
Eg: Primary health centres often under-equipped to manage heatstroke or chronic respiratory illness.
- Social invisibility in governance : Essential workers remain marginal in urban planning priorities. Persistent caste-linked occupational stigma reinforces exclusion.
Eg: Climate adaptation strategies rarely include sanitation workforce welfare.
Way Forward
- Labour Law Amendments : Integrate climate resilience into labour safety laws with enforceable standards.
- Formalisation : Formalise informal workers through portable social security and health insurance.
- Infrastructure : Upgrade informal settlements with climate-resilient housing, drainage, and cooling infrastructure.
- City Planning : Strengthen city-level heat action plans with real-time monitoring and worker protections.
- Operational Convergence : Promote inter-agency convergence between urban planning, health, and disaster management systems.
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Conclusion
Climate change in Indian cities exposes not just environmental stress but structural governance failures and entrenched inequalities. Informal workers and sanitation staff remain the most visible yet least protected actors in this system. A just urban transition requires embedding equity, labour protection, and institutional convergence at the core of climate governance.
July 1, 2026
