Delhi Residents Seek NHRC Recognition Of Extreme Heat As A Human Rights Issue

On 14 July, A group of Delhi residents has approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), urging it to recognise extreme heat as a human rights issue. Along with a formal representation submitted to NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian, residents presented citizen-maintained “Heat Registries” documenting the impacts of extreme heat on their health, livelihoods, income and dignity.

Maintained since May 2026 under Greenpeace India’s Delhi Rising campaign, the Heat Registries contain handwritten testimonies from nearly 40 households across Sunder Nagri, CR Park, Dwarka and Jamia Nagar, as well as informal workers including street vendors, gig workers, home-based workers, students and elderly residents. The diaries are supported by medical records, electricity bills and income documents, providing evidence of the financial and physical burden of prolonged heat exposure.

What are Heat Registries?

Since May 2026, residents have been maintaining weekly handwritten diaries to document their lived experiences of extreme heat. The diaries record how prolonged hot and humid conditions affect their daily lives and are supported by evidence such as medical bills, electricity bills and income records.

The initiative aims to capture the human and economic impacts of heat that are often missed by official statistics. Although Delhi is not currently under an official heatwave, participants say persistent heat and humidity continue to disrupt their health, work and household expenses.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi’s maximum temperatures are currently between 36°C and 38°C, while minimum temperatures range from 26°C to 28°C. The IMD has forecast a slight increase in temperatures over the next two to three days, followed by a 2–3°C decline.

The submission argues that even without an official heatwave declaration, persistent heat, humidity and warm nights have resulted in sleeplessness, illness, reduced productivity, increased household expenses and loss of income, particularly among outdoor workers and vulnerable communities.

The representation states that these impacts amount to violations of fundamental rights protected under the Constitution.

It cites Article 21, which guarantees the right to life, along with Supreme Court judgments including Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v. State of West Bengal, Francis Coralie Mullin v. UT of Delhi, Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation, M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (2000) and M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India (2024), which recognised protection against the adverse effects of climate change as part of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21.

Why is it being called a human rights issue?

Residents argue that prolonged extreme heat is not merely a weather event but a rights issue. They say it undermines their right to life, right to health, right to livelihood, and right to live with dignity, as persistent hot and humid conditions continue to affect their daily lives, incomes and overall well-being.

They say vulnerable communities are experiencing these rights violations through lost income, worsening health conditions and inadequate access to protection from extreme heat.

The letter also refers to the NHRC’s advisory issued on April 28, 2026, urging 21 states and the National Capital Territory of Delhi to take advance measures to protect vulnerable populations from heatwaves. It further cites the 2025 advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, both of which affirm that protecting people from climate change impacts is a binding human rights obligation.

Residents argue that although Heat Action Plans have been developed by many states and cities, they continue to suffer from inadequate financial support. According to the submission, measures such as cooling shelters, shaded public spaces, drinking water facilities, healthcare preparedness and early warning systems cannot be effectively implemented without dedicated funding.

What are the residents demanding?

The submission urges the NHRC to recognise extreme heat as a human rights issue and accept the Heat Registries as evidence of the harm caused by prolonged heat exposure. It also calls for dedicated funding for Heat Action Plans and supports the Sixteenth Finance Commission's recommendation to classify heatwaves as a nationally recognised disaster.

Speaking on behalf of informal workers, Mohit Valecha, National Coordinator of the Indian Hawkers Alliance, said extreme heat has significantly reduced the earnings of street vendors while exposing them to serious health risks without adequate social protection.

Aakiz Farooq, Senior Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace India, said the testimonies show that extreme heat affects people’s health, livelihoods, income and dignity, making it a human rights issue rather than only an environmental concern.

Climate law researcher Arpitha Kodiveri, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Vassar College, said legal systems across the world are increasingly recognising the need to address heatwaves through a human rights framework, including access to cooling, water, shelter and livelihood protections.

The residents have urged the Commission to place the Heat Registries on record and recommend stronger legal protections and financial support for Heat Action Plans, arguing that the growing impacts of extreme heat require recognition as a human rights concern rather than solely a climate or weather issue.