Delhi Slum Residents' Heat Diaries Submitted as Evidence in Court

In Delhi, India, one of the hottest places on Earth, 40 households in a slum have been maintaining heat diaries to document how they survive the summer. These records have now been submitted to a court, potentially having historic impact. Gulshan, a resident who does not provide her last name, follows a nightly routine of washing the floor of her one-room apartment multiple times so her four children can sleep on the cool concrete. In some streets of her neighborhood, ground temperatures have exceeded 54 degrees Celsius. Last summer, the family saved enough money to buy a 'desert cooler,' an evaporative cooling device that is a cheaper alternative to air conditioning. They use it sparingly to keep energy costs low, but even when it runs, Gulshan must dampen the family's clothes before bedtime. The heat diaries are part of an effort to highlight the extreme conditions faced by slum dwellers and to push for action on climate change and urban planning. The court case could set a precedent for how heat impacts are considered in legal contexts.