Across India, temperatures are soaring, and the impact is evident, from 300 suspected heat-related illness cases reported in Andhra Pradesh to 200 in Maharashtra, say news reports. Heat is unequally felt, with informal workers bearing the brunt of income loss and illness during the blazing hours. Another overlooked impact is heatwaves’ toll on menstrual and reproductive health, where access to washrooms and clean water exacerbates summers for women in low-income settlements, experts say.  Extreme heat exposure overlaps closely with marginalisation, says Vidhya Venugopal, Professor of Climate Change, Occupational and Environmental Health at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research…

At 8 am every day, M Subashini hops onto her two-wheeler and braces herself for the incessant Zomato order notifications on her phone, and the blistering May heat. Armed with a water bottle and gloves, the gig worker says "Veyil thaangamudila (can't bear the sun). But we took this job to be independent, and earn — so we can't stop, for rain or heat.” Shuttling across Ambattur's roads, the 38-year-old races between restaurants and residences, dropping off food packages under the scorching sun. An order within five kilometres usually earns her ₹20–50. “Men can do longer distances, but I can’t.…