Street vendors in Kashmir work through intense heat

Srinagar : With Srinagar – the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday surpassing a 70-year-old record by witnessing the season’s highest temperature at 37.4 degrees Celsius, street vendors across the valley said they have no choice but to bear the heat and continue working.
On Saturday, Srinagar recorded its highest temperature in over 70 years, touching a searing 37.4 degrees Celsius. For hundreds of street vendors whose daily earnings depend on open-air stalls and roadside sales, the heat is unforgiving, but unavoidable.
In many districts including Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara, and areas such as Dargah Hazratbal and Batamaloo, vendors working on roadsides and open markets are managing their daily routines under high temperatures without any formal protection from the sun.
“There is no other option. If I sit at home, my children will sleep hungry,” a fruit vendor at Batamaloo bus stand said. He wipes his brow repeatedly with a cloth damp from sweat. “We work in the sun all day because this is our only way to survive.”
Shazia Bano, who sells children’s toys outside the Children’s Hospital in Srinagar, said, “I am the sole breadwinner of my family. My husband is unwell, and my kids are still in school. Whether it’s cold or heat, I have to be here.”
The other vendors earn on a daily basis and say skipping work due to weather isn’t an option. They, however, said that high temperatures have reduced customer footfall.
“We try to manage by setting up umbrellas or temporary covers for shade, but during the peak afternoon hours, the heat can still be difficult to work in. Footpaths and roads become hot, and many vendors report tiredness and dehydration,” Mohammad Amin, a 50 year old vendor said.
In other markets of the valley, sellers sat under temporary covers or umbrellas. Despite these measures, the ground heats up by afternoon, making it difficult to sit or stand for long periods.
“I have worked outdoors for many years, but this level of heat is unlike anything I have experienced before,” said Shabir Ahmad, a vendor in Bandipora. “By midday, it becomes physically exhausting. Still, I come every day, because staying home is not a solution.”
Meanwhile, the Met Department stated that Jammu and Kashmir’s severe heatwave is caused by weak Western Disturbances, persistent high-pressure zones, and rapid climate change accelerating warming. Urbanization and lack of pre-monsoon showers have worsened the situation, leading to prolonged intense heat