Pune: Soaring Temperatures Force Delivery Workers to Prefer Evening Shifts
Pune: With day temperatures in Pune soaring to a sweltering 41 degrees Celsius this summer, many delivery executives are opting for evening or night shifts to avoid the unbearable heat.
Gig workers across the city are struggling to cope with the early onset of summer and the harsh working conditions during the daytime. Satish Shinde, a delivery executive in Wanowrie, shared that he delivers 18-22 orders daily, most of them under the scorching sun. “Afternoon orders are the worst as the heat really gets to us. I wrap a damp cloth around my head and neck to avoid heatstroke. Sometimes, finding the customer’s location in this heat adds to the struggle,” he said.
Swapnil Londhe, another delivery executive, highlighted the challenges faced in all weather conditions. “Be it summer or rain, we go through really tough conditions to ensure that customers’ orders are delivered on time. I got a fungal infection last monsoon because of excess exposure to rain, and I am still battling it. I was isolated from my family too. Incentives are also not that significant,” Londhe added.
Ram Chandra Shinde, a food delivery executive near Magarpatta, now prefers taking up evening or night deliveries due to the heat. “The pay is also better and it is reasonably cooler,” he said. However, night shifts come with their own challenges — stray dog attacks and the risk of accidents caused by rash driving at night.
Keshav Kshirsagar, president of the Indian Gig Workers Front, which has around 56,000 members, stressed the need for guidelines to ensure the welfare of gig workers. “There are over a lakh gig workers in Pune, and the conditions that they operate in are very difficult. Women workers need access to bathrooms, and in the heat, malls should allow access to gig workers to use basic facilities. However, we cannot impose this or force malls/housing societies to help out as there are no laws governing the industry,” he explained.
Some delivery executives, like B Saraswat, have received kindness from security guards in housing societies. “Some guards in societies that I frequent allow me to refill my water bottle and even use their washrooms. But not all housing societies allow us to do so,” Saraswat said.
As Pune continues to reel under the heatwave, the plight of delivery workers highlights the urgent need for better facilities and welfare measures for gig workers across the city.
