Hyderabad airport taxi drivers seek shelter, drinking water amid heatwave

Drivers who wait for long hours for passengers in the airport parking lot are risking their health amid the heatwave conditions, the Telangana Gig and Platforms Workers Union said.
Taxis covered in cloth during summer outside Hyderabad airport
Taxis covered in cloth during summer outside Hyderabad airport
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On behalf of taxi drivers who work from outside the Hyderabad airport, the Telangana Gig and Platforms Workers Union (TGPWU) has asked the airport authorities to set up a proper shelter and other facilities for them as the summer heat intensifies in Telangana. The state has been bracing for heatwave conditions during the summer months. There are around 5,000 taxis parked at the airport at any given time to cater to passengers, the union pointed out, adding that drivers who have to wait in the parking lot for long hours for passengers are risking their health in the scorching summer heat. 

On April 2, the maximum temperature recorded within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits was 38.9 degree Celsius, according to the Telangana State Development Planning Society, while the maximum temperature across the state of 43.9 degrees was recorded in the Adilabad district. 

With the temperature expected to reach 40 degrees or more very soon, the TGPWU has requested Rajiv Gandhi International Airport authorities to take cognisance of the difficulties faced by taxi drivers and provide a properly constructed shelter with adequate facilities, including drinking water to avoid dehydration and other heat-related health problems. The union has also sought subsidised canteen facilities for the drivers at the airport, noting that with the airport being located on the outskirts of the city, there are no affordable food outlets in the vicinity. 

According to the India Meteorological Department, India recorded its warmest March in 122 years this year. IMD has attributed the excessive heat to the lack of rainfall due to the absence of active western disturbances over north India and any major system over south India. Due to heatwave prediction by the IMD in Telangana, the state government has reduced school timings from March 31 to April 6. 

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