Heatwave affects Rawalpindi vendors

City vendors are in a difficult position to do their business during the unprecedented heatwave plaguing Rawalpindi city. The record-breaking temperature has exacted a serious economic toll, with vendors across the city, many still recovering from coronavirus days.

Shahid Naqvi, a fruit vendor in Sultanpura, has been selling fruits in the area for more than ten years now. Parked under a large canopy that offers shade from the sun, he waits for customers. “The heat this year has been the worst, and it is only April. It will get worse. The recent heatwave in the city has also affected my business since customers do not come out much and my fruits get rotten in the scorching heat during the day.

“I am also one of the many street vendors in Rawalpindi city who conduct business at the risk of eviction by the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), an additional loss in daily wages these days. I just manage, one has to,” he adds.

Excess heat from some vendors’ burners often raises the temperature near the cart. Working in such conditions could have put their health in danger.

The last week of March 2022 was exceptionally hot for Pindiites, as the temperature in the city was much higher amid an ongoing heatwave affecting congested areas. This is likely to continue for another few days, according to the Meteorological Department (MD).

“The unusual and early onset of high temperature in the city has citizens alarmed. However, some areas in the city find it hotter than other areas. For example, PWD is usually five degrees hotter than its immediate neighbor Bahria Town. Within an area, there’s a temperature difference between housing societies with open spaces, landscaping, or trees, and those without,” says Naveed Hussain.

“Given that a large population of the city resides in congested areas, the congestion, lack of open spaces and olive green parks all contribute to the increased warming in those areas. The lack of green cover in the city also adds to warming as currently only a few areas and housing societies make for the city’s green cover,” adds Naveed.

“Considering the continued pattern of heatwaves and increasing warmth in the city, why is Rawalpindi city not more prepared? With about 70% of the city’s green cover lost in the last four decades, increasing land surface high temperature against the backdrop of rapid construction is but natural,” says Salma Zaidi.

Salma adds, “Building material used in construction plays a key role in the heat effect. Changes in urban surfaces, impervious surfaces, or changes in land use modify the temperature of a city. Building material and surfaces such as asphalt absorb the sun’s heat, leading to an increase in surface temperature and overall temperature. Infrastructure can considerably alter the temperature of a certain part of the city.”