As temperatures in Indian cities soar to 46°C, low-income workers such as delivery riders and domestic staff are being denied access to the shaded parks and cool public spaces that could offer them relief. In cities including Noida, Bengaluru, and Chennai, green areas are often locked during peak afternoon hours or restricted to residents of private gated communities, leaving gig workers and others who labour outdoors with nowhere to rest. The disparity reflects a broader failure of urban planning, with Indian cities falling far short of the World Health Organisation's recommended 9 sq.m. of green space per capita — and a heatwave season that claimed at least 84 recorded deaths between March and June last year, a figure experts say understates the true toll.