How Kerala heatwaves are boiling over to construction workers’ personal lives

By Jamsheena Mullappatt

Ernakulum, Kerala: Every day, Ratheesh is suspended several floors above the ground, painting the outer walls of multi-storey buildings in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. It is a physically demanding job, and the state’s sticky heat only makes it harder.

Ratheesh usually works for eight hours, but during the peak summer months of March to May, his shifts stretch up to ten. “The heat slowed me down, so I had to work longer,” he told 101Reporters.

Kerala experienced an unprecedented heatwave this year, with temperatures in some districts crossing 36°C as early as January, according to the India Meteorological Department. 

For Ratheesh and thousands of migrant construction workers across the state, the heat was not only physically taxing, it also affected their mental health, experts said.

“Standing in the sun like this makes me feel disgusted and frustrated with my job,” said Ambrose, a mason in Panambukadu with 44 years of experience. “Constant exposure to heat brings emotional outbursts. Over time, you feel your personality changing.”

His colleague Rocky, who spent 30 years in the Gulf, said the heat in Kerala now feels just as harsh as in Saudi Arabia, but with fewer ways to cope. “There, we sometimes got chilled juice or cold drinks. Here, we only have hot water from home. It doesn’t help much.” 

Their daily routine, from 8 am to 1 pm, followed by another shift from 2 pm to 5 pm, includes few shade breaks. Unlike the Gulf’s prefabricated materials, construction in Kerala relies on heavy manual labour under direct sun.

Kerala’s construction sector contributes 15–20% to the state’s GDP and employs over 20 lakh people, according to the Kerala State Planning Board. Most come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, many of them migrants. Irregular hours, low job security, and lack of climate-safe infrastructure have long been challenges, but this year’s heat intensified them.

‘Small things set me off’

In Perumbavoor, workers like Vikas Halder, Titu, Mohammed Khuseer, and Sameena from Murshidabad, West Bengal, said the heat and job instability take a toll on their minds. “Even small things like someone asking for a tool can set me off,” said Shilu, a mason. “I’ve shouted for no reason. Later, I feel guilty, but at that moment, I’m not thinking clearly.”

Sudev, an electrician-plumber, described a similar struggle: “It’s like my brain is boiling. I feel dazed and numb. I usually work fast, but the heat slows me down. I can’t concentrate. But we’re men, we’re expected to be strong. So we bottle it up.”

Lalan, a tile worker for 45 years, added, “I’m older now. Even though I have experience, contractors judge me by how fast I work. If I slow down, I don’t get called back. But I can’t afford to skip a day, my family depends on me.”

Some construction sites have shifted hours to 7 am to 2 pm to avoid peak heat. “Even then, the mornings are brutal,” said Shilu. “You sweat through your clothes. The body weakens. The mind stops working.”

Experts say these are not just passing complaints. “Construction workers are among the worst affected by the heatwave,” said Dr Abhilash S, Director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology. “Prolonged exposure impairs the body’s ability to regulate temperature and causes cognitive stress.”

Kaveri S, a senior psychologist at Feel Home Psychological Counseling Center, explained that dehydration and fatigue affect memory, concentration, and decision-making, critical in high-risk jobs. “Mistakes become more frequent, and accidents more likely. But most workers don’t recognise these signs as mental health issues, they think it’s normal.”

Job insecurity, she added, compounds the stress. “Aggression, anxiety, frustration, these often spill into personal lives. But in male-dominated sectors, depression shows up as anger or addiction. It remains hidden, especially during heatwaves, when workers feel helpless but can't stop.”

A 2022 study by the University of Adelaide, published in Nature Climate Change, supports these observations: extreme heat worsens emotional regulation, cognitive function, and mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders.

Women in construction face additional burdens: low pay, harassment, lack of toilets, and unsafe work environments. 

Mini CS, a worker for 23 years, said the heat often made her want to quit. “We work without rest, then go home to cook and clean. I barely sleep. It makes me angry, sad, restless.”

Tensions at home worsen the strain. “My husband drinks. Sometimes he helps, sometimes he doesn’t. When I’m exhausted, I lose control. I say things I don’t mean. Later, I don’t even remember.”

She added that sanitation issues deepen the discomfort. “Most sites don’t have toilets. I hold it all day. During my period, it’s unbearable—itching, sweating, pain. I get irritable. Mood swings are constant.”

A recent study said that women working in extreme heat without sanitation access report higher levels of anxiety and emotional exhaustion. “These aren’t new problems,” said Kaveri. “But heat magnifies them. Physical discomfort, especially during menstruation, erodes emotional resilience. Women often skip breaks so they’re not seen as weak. Some bring their children to work. And when the shift ends, they still have housework. The mental load never ends.”

Battling heatwave

The stories of workers like Ratheesh, Shilu, and Mini are not isolated. They’re unfolding against the backdrop of a deeper shift: Kerala’s climate is changing. Once known for its humid but tolerable summers, the state is now grappling with heatwaves that are arriving earlier and lasting longer. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued its first official heatwave warning for Kerala in 2016, the hottest year on record at the time. Initially confined to Palakkad, alerts have since expanded to districts like Thrissur, Kollam, Kozhikode, and Alappuzha.

While brief temperature spikes aren’t new, prolonged and widespread heatwaves are. Until the 2010s, summer temperatures in Kerala typically ranged between 32°C and 36°C. Higher extremes, like the 41.9°C recorded in Palakkad in 1950, were rare and short-lived.

That’s no longer the case. In April 2024, Palakkad touched 41.8°C, nearly 5.5°C above average. Just months earlier, in January, districts like Kannur and Kottayam recorded temperatures of 36°C, heat levels usually seen in March or April.

Experts said this intensifying heat is fueled by a combination of global climate change, frequent El Niño events, and local changes like deforestation, rapid urbanisation, and land-use shifts. These factors have weakened Kerala’s natural cooling systems: lush vegetation, coastal breezes, and pre-monsoon showers. Even nights offer less relief now, as the warming Arabian Sea reduces land-sea contrast.

“Kerala doesn’t face dry heat like North India, it’s humid heat,” explained Dr Abhilash. “At 37°C with 60% humidity, it can feel like 45–50°C. The body struggles to cool down because sweat doesn’t evaporate efficiently in such conditions.”

This makes certain groups, children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing illnesses, especially vulnerable to both physical exhaustion and mental stress.

Lagging behind heat

The government has issued advisories asking people to avoid sunlight from 11 am to 3 pm and adjust work hours accordingly during the heatwave. But on the ground, these recommendations often remain unimplemented.

“Workers often get dehydrated and can’t eat properly, they drink too much water, and their bodies get confused,” said Gopalakrishnan, a contractor who previously worked in Bahrain. “As temperatures rise, productivity falls as much as 30 percent, which essentially means loss of pay.”

In summers, a government order prohibits outdoor work from 12 pm to 3 pm, and enforcement squads have been tasked with monitoring compliance. “Builders' associations have been informed. At small sites, violations will be addressed,” said Ernakulam’s District Labour Officer Vinod. “Mental health hasn’t been officially addressed yet, but it can be taken up at the commission level.”

Experts say this isn’t enough.

“Mental health literacy is low. People don’t always realise that heat-related fatigue, irritability, or emotional breakdowns are warning signs,” said Kaveri.

She added that climate adaptation must include mental health safeguards: “Rest breaks, clean drinking water, sanitation, and safe working conditions aren’t luxuries. They’re mental health interventions.”

Kaveri also said that for women, especially, the lack of toilets and support systems can cause extreme psychological strain. “Suppressing the urge to cry or express emotion isn’t strength, it’s a burden. Without structural changes, even therapy can’t undo what the body and mind are going through daily.” [101Reporters/VP]