UTTAR Pradesh: Darkness falls on Rajauli village, but for Raju Kushwaha there is no difference between the scorching sun and a blazing brick kiln. While the village’s residents enjoy the cool air, the 45-year-old’s sweat-drenched body is hard at work at the local Bhatta.
As temperatures of 50 degrees and heatwave alerts rang through northern India, the country’s brick kilns stayed open. “The surface was so hot that workers could cook their chapatis just by placing their utensils on top of it,” Khushwaha said.
Originally from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, Khushwaha is the sole earner for his wife and 11-year-old daughter. He works in one of UP’s 19,718 brick kilns.
The factory is divided by function and temperature. By the entrance, where bricks are stacked for pick-up, the heat is bearable. Next to the bhatta, where workers pull out freshly baked bricks, it’s 70°C. In the furnace, the temperatures soar to between 800 to 1200°C.
Denne historien er fra July 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
