Delhi’s new weather messengers: Street vendors, gig workers, daily wagers

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday partnered with street vendor networks across Delhi to spread heatwave warnings, as the city continues to reel under extreme temperatures.

The initiative aims to build an early warning system at the grassroots level, using local languages understood by the most vulnerable communities. As part of the collaboration, IMD’s daily weather forecasts and heatwave alerts are being simplified and translated into easy-to-understand local languages.

Advertisement

An official document noted that the weather updates are currently being shared both digitally and in written formats. While community WhatsApp groups circulate the alerts on social media, handwritten notes and posters in Hindi, displayed at vending carts, labour chowks, and waste segregation points across the city, serve as alternative information hubs.

The partnership, spearheaded by Greenpeace India—a Delhi-based environmental non-profit—leverages the trust and reach of street vendors, gig workers, and daily wage labourers, who often bear the brunt of extreme heat, as frontline communicators of weather alerts.

The official statement read, “For the first time, communities at high risk of heatwave impacts are playing a lead role in the dissemination of IMD’s heatwave alerts, ensuring early action where it is needed most.”

The weather department is supporting the effort by co-creating simplified, user-friendly heatwave warnings in Hindi, in partnership with community members. This ensures the forecasts are not only understood but also actionable.

“This people-centric model empowers communities to adapt the alerts into localised formats, turning everyday workers into climate messengers. It marks a significant step towards realising the vision of “early warning for all” by making IMD’s advisories more relevant and impactful on the ground,” the statement added.

To support Delhi’s new weather messengers, a multi-stakeholder workshop was jointly organised by IMD, Greenpeace India, and informal worker associations. The session focused on raising awareness of the health risks posed by extreme weather, especially heatwaves, and explored ways to integrate early warning systems and health advisories into the daily routines of informal workers.