International Labour Day: Murals in east Delhi spotlight workers’ struggle with rising temperatures

Marking International Labour Day, three striking community murals in Sundar Nagri, east Delhi, tell the story of how extreme heat is reshaping the lives, bodies, and livelihoods of workers. Unveiled on May 1, 2026, the murals are part of Greenpeace India’s Delhi Rising campaign, which demands that heatwaves be formally recognised as a national disaster, along with adequate funding for heat action plans and their urgent implementation.

The murals depict the intensity of heat and its impact on outdoor labourers, home-based women workers, and children navigating dangerous temperatures with minimal relief and protection. They also capture the resourceful ways communities cope with extreme heat, including improvised cooling methods that make survival possible. The artworks reflect how heat extends into classrooms and childhood, affecting students’ ability to learn and rest.

From lived experience to public art

Developed through a participatory process, the murals emerged from conversations between artists, residents, and workers. Stories of exhaustion, fatigue, disrupted incomes, and collective coping were shared and translated into visual form. What has emerged is more than art; it is a powerful assertion that workers are not merely affected by heat, but are actively navigating, adapting, and responding to its impacts.

“These murals are not just art, they are evidence,” said Aakiz Farooq, climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace India. “Communities are already living through a crisis that policy has yet to fully acknowledge. Recognising heatwaves as a national disaster is a necessary first step, but it must be backed by funding, planning, and real action that protects workers on the ground.”

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He added that extreme heat is being driven by fossil fuel emissions. “Workers are paying for that with their health and their livelihoods. Polluters must be held accountable. Heat must be declared a national disaster, and it must be funded as one,” he said.

Accountability and climate justice

Adding to this, Deepali, a Greenpeace community campaigner, said, “This is not about three days. It takes 10 to 12 days to arrange everything, and students are also involved in the process.”

“On this May Day, we are asking who is the most accountable. Climate change is not like seasonal work; it is a crisis created by companies, especially fossil fuel companies,” she said.

“This mural shows the solidarity of people from all walks of life. It reflects the hard work of household workers who often cannot step out due to lack of facilities and are constantly managing their lives in extreme heat,” she added.

“These workers do not have the privilege to secure stable incomes, yet they are expected to bear the burden. Those responsible must be held accountable and should pay for it, because these communities contribute the least but are affected the most,” she further added.

Voices from the ground

Mohommad Zaheer, a Sundar Nagri resident and worker who contributed to the murals, said, “Heat affects our bodies, our work, and our homes. It makes our body inactive, drained, and impacts our income. We are not able to sleep properly even at night, as in recent years it feels too hot during night too. These walls now show our reality and the small ways we try to cope every day.”

Sarla Devi, a home-based worker from the area, said, “We work inside our homes, but the heat does not spare us. The rooms turn into ovens by afternoon. We keep water sprinkled on the floor or sit near the cooler if electricity allows, but even that is not enough. Some days, we have to stop working because the heat becomes unbearable.”

Raju, a construction worker who passes through the neighbourhood daily, added, “By noon, the ground becomes so hot that it burns through our shoes. We try to cover our heads and drink water, but there are no proper facilities at most sites. If we stop, we lose wages. If we continue, our health suffers.”

Shabnam, a domestic worker, said, “In the summer months, travelling to different houses for work becomes exhausting. Buses are crowded and hot, and by the time we reach, we are already drained. But we cannot afford to miss a day’s work.”

Ayesha, a school student from Sundar Nagri, shared, “During summer, it becomes very difficult to concentrate in class. The fans don’t help much, and sometimes we feel dizzy. After school, we feel too tired to study or play.”

Another local youth, Imran, who helped paint the mural, said, “We wanted to show what we go through every day. When people see these walls, they will understand that heat is not just weather, it is a serious problem for us.”

Call to action

Reflecting on the process, artists Harit Gulia, Shipra Rani, and Manmauji, along with team members Ravi and Anurag Kumar, said, “This was about listening and co-creating. Art became a way to translate lived experiences into something visible and undeniable. These murals carry stories of struggle, but also of strength and solidarity.”

As Delhi faces increasingly intense and prolonged heat conditions, initiatives like this aim to push the conversation towards accountability, with workers’ safety at the centre. On May Day, workers in Sundar Nagri are using art to call for safer conditions, structural support, and urgent climate accountability.