DOWNLOAD REPORT
The following sections represent experiences of those workers who reported being impacted by one or more extreme weather events.
Close to 90% of workers reported experiencing an impact on their working conditions due to extreme weather events. Across sectors, more than half of workers reported facing delays in completing their tasks and 49% reported damage to delivery vehicles.
During rains, there are a lot of potholes and bike slips, and I have fallen down multiple times. The engine also stops working for 15 minutes or so, increasing the delivery time. I have also had minor injuries. Even the smaller roads are inundated, creating delays.”
More than 50% of workers reported experiencing impacts at a household level. In the home services sector, this number rose to 70%. Common areas of concern reported were damage to transportation routes which often cut workers off from public facilities and hinder their ability to go to work. Others report impacts on health, ability to meet consumption needs, and sanitation.
Cough, fever, headache are common during summers. Malaria spreads in my area too. Drains are cluttered. So, our area gets inundated during the rains. It takes time for the water to seep out. I usually go to private clinics. They charge around ₹200 per day for fever. We pay up to ₹2000 if it stays for 10 days.”
96% of the workers across sectors reported receiving no assistance during extreme weather events. In home services, no one got any support targeted towards weather related impacts. Notably, 9% of the food delivery workers reported receiving work related incentives from platforms, indicating potential good practices that could be adopted across sectors.
*Types of assistance received includes emergency relief from the government, emergency relief from NGOs, compensation from platform, incentives from platform, healthcare support.
Among workers who faced climate-based impacts, inorder to cope without any external assistance, close to 40% reported relying on financial support from family and friends, followed by about 20% who reported using their savings.
Friends give cash easily without any delay and they don’t charge any interest. I rely on my friends to deal with financial difficulties during extreme weather events.”
