Hit by heatwave, Mumbai is ignoring a quick fix to cool off – keeping parks open in the afternoon

On Saturday, the India Meteorological Department predicted an unusually hot day for Mumbai. The mercury soared to 37 degrees, about 3.4 degree higher than the average temperature for early March. At 3 pm, Suvarna Bandagale sat on a cement block on a footpath to catch some respite from the scorching afternoon heat. As she wiped sweat off her face, she watched pigeons flutter inside the municipality’s empty Diamond Garden in the Chembur neighbourhood. “It is always locked in afternoon,” Bandagale complained. “There is no shade anywhere to sit and relax.”

Bandagale, a domestic worker from Mankhurd in north east Mumbai, works from 11 am till 3 pm, the hottest hours of the day. When she finishes work, she looks for a place to rest before beginning her 5-km walk back home. As a brutal summer approaches, Bandagale does not have many convenient option at which to take a break.

This year, even before the onset of peak summer, Mumbai is experiencing high temperatures. On March 9 and March 10, the meteorological department predicted, the year’s second heatwave would hit the city and nearby parts of coastal Maharashtra. Temperatures are likely to exceed 38 degrees – 5 degrees higher than average.

Keeping parks open to allow residents...

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