New Delhi: By midday on Thursday, the heat outside Jama Masjid metro station felt almost physical, pressing down on people. Pedestrians walked quickly, some with handkerchiefs wrapped around their faces, women shielding themselves with dupattas, and others wiping sweat from their foreheads.
Just outside gate 3, the air changed inside a large tented enclosure that had been set up as the Delhi government's newly introduced 'cooling zone'. The entrance listed its facilities: a water cooler, ORS packets, and first aid. With the temperature touching 45 degrees Celsius, this tent, equipped with 10 air coolers, acted as a pause button for those who had to be out and about, said Renu, who was visiting the facility for the second time.
Some people entered hurriedly and left within minutes, while others stayed longer, resting on chairs in front of the air coolers. The cooling centre, established 10 days ago under the government's heatwave action plan, can accommodate about 80 people at once. Besides air coolers, it has fans, a water cooler, and a dispenser. ORS packets are distributed to anyone who needs them, along with caps and gamchas.
Autorickshaw driver Sanjay Kumar Dubey has already made this place part of his daily routine, stopping once or twice daily. 'By afternoon, driving is impossible. I come here, drink water, sit in front of the cooler for a few minutes, and then continue,' he said.
However, the relief had its limitations. Dubey walked to the water dispenser and touched the stream of water running from it. 'In this heat, what else does a person need? Just cold water. And if even that isn't available, then what's the point?' he said. Others nodded. The stabiliser in the water cooler had already needed repairing twice and was again out for fixing.
Dubey also felt that a single water cooler was inadequate for the number of people using the tent; at least three were needed. At that time, about 30 people were seated on chairs, and more had walked in.
For many who spend their days working under the open sky, the heat is unavoidable. Avdesh, a labourer at a nearby construction site, gestured towards the hot gusts of wind sweeping through the road outside and said, 'Someone sitting in an air-conditioned home or office probably has no idea what the condition is outside. This is much needed.'
As he spoke, a Delhi Jal Board tanker parked nearby and started feeding water into the dispenser. Minutes later, the same tanker began refilling the air coolers. When asked whether the water was suitable for drinking, one of the workers handling the pipes seemed unsure.
The tent is shaded but partially open on some sides, allowing waves of hot air to enter. The services listed at the entrance did not match what was on the ground: there was no first-aid kit in sight on Thursday. Some visitors said that only one tent would not be able to meet the demand; more are needed.
People kept trickling in. Nikki, who had come to visit a nearby temple, walked in after struggling with the heat outside. Pankaj, travelling from Bhajanpura towards India Gate, stopped briefly while changing buses. Some labourers from a road repair site kept walking in at intervals.
Most people just stared ahead, drinking water slowly, letting the cool air rest on their bodies. A desk near the entrance buzzed with activity as civil defence volunteer Saroj handed ORS packets, paper cups, caps, and gamchas to outstretched hands. 'Around 500-600 ORS packets arrive every day, and all are distributed. The response has been very good, and people are benefiting. All the supplies arrive in the morning and are usually enough for the day. Water tankers come twice daily, and the supply generally lasts,' Saroj said. Around her, people asked for cups of water and ORS.
Outside the bubble, the hot wind was as strong as ever.
