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Trapped heat forces low-income Pune households into ‘quiet suffering, exhaustion’: Study

Conducted on street vendors, report shows basic relief from swelter unaffordable for many

4 min readPuneApr 22, 2026 08:42 PM IST

Extreme heat has emerged as a serious problem in Pune.

A new study by Prayas, a non-profit trust, has found that in Pune’s low-income neighbourhoods, heat stays trapped inside houses well into the night making it difficult for people to rest. While most households have fans, they only circulate hot air once indoor temperatures rise beyond a point.

Even basic relief like a cooler comes with a high electricity bill which is unaffordable.

“We found that a majority of households are quietly suffering from constant headaches, and exhaustion because of the heat. Basic information needs to reach every neighbourhood about how to stay safe, and Pune needs a plan to make homes cooler,” Shweta Kulkarni, fellow at Prayas Energy Group, told The Indian Express.

Extreme heat has emerged as a serious problem in Pune. Low-income households are more at risk from extreme heat as they live in poorly ventilated homes that get very hot and have limited means to purchase and operate cooling appliances.

At Prayas, researchers sought to understand how these households perceive heat risk. In homes with reinforced cement concrete (RCC) roofs, indoor temperatures remain relatively stable over the day but peak around 6 pm. During daytime, indoor temperatures in these households are lower than those recorded by the closest weather station while at night they are higher indicating heat retention within the building envelope.

Dr Ritu Parchure, research fellow with Prayas health group said that a large number of informal and outdoor workers are working through heat every day, which can impact their heart and kidneys, but these impacts remain invisible.

“In contrast, what gets reported in the media is only heatstroke deaths, which is a tiny part of the picture. The affected communities are not merely passive recipients of health impacts; they actively navigate and respond to challenging environments. Its in-depth understanding is essential to align the policies and actions to their needs. Through our study among Pune’s street vendors, we tried to understand these aspects – how street vendors make sense of heat related health risks. We tried to understand the vulnerabilities from their perspective and their coping strategies,” Dr Parchure explained

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The survey of 358 street vendors across Pune city was done last summer but findings that were analysed and recently reported said that extreme heat is not an episodic event for them. It is a constant exposure to high temperatures throughout the summer.

“The street vendor’s narratives highlighted the close interlinks between health impacts and economic impacts. Working in extreme heat exhausts them to the extent they can’t work. This means they lose wages for that day and also have to pay for healthcare.

They also face losses as their stock spoils in the sun. So, to make up for the losses, they stay out even longer, creating a vicious cycle. The serious health risk associated with heat is often not known to them. There is also a habituation effect, because of which they develop a (false) confidence that they can push through the extreme heat. It also comes from the helplessness of continuing work in the absence of access to adaptive amenities like water, toilets, shades and cooling.

“We need to have better communication strategies as well as an adaptation plan that looks beyond the thermometer and addresses the lived realities of vulnerable people, ensuring they have access to shade, water, and social safety nets,” Parchure added.

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47 heat stroke cases in state

State health department data has reported 47 cases of heat stroke since March this year. Akola has the highest numbers at 14 followed by 8 at Nandurbar, 5 at Ratnagiri and 4 at Gadchiroli. Pune, Ahmednagar and other districts have reported one case each.

According to data there are two suspected heat stroke deaths.. Meanwhile during this period the state has reported 108 cardiovascular deaths.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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