As temperatures soar above 104°F in Karachi, motorcycle driver Shahbaz Ali showcases the daily grind of working in oppressive heat while managing family challenges amidst frequent power outages.
Surviving the Scorch: Life in Karachi’s Extreme Heat
Surviving the Scorch: Life in Karachi’s Extreme Heat
Shahbaz Ali, a motorcycle driver in Karachi, reveals the relentless struggles faced in the face of extreme heat and power outages, highlighting the resilience of ordinary people in unbearable conditions.
In Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, the sun begins its unforgiving assault even before the clock strikes noon. One such victim of this relentless heat is Shahbaz Ali, a 32-year-old ride-hailing motorcycle driver whose day starts at 8 a.m., drenched in sweat before he even begins to navigate the city's congested streets. The scorching temperatures routinely exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), with high humidity from the Arabian Sea, pushing the heat index past 115.
"It feels like living in a furnace," Shahbaz remarks while maneuvering his motorcycle over pothole-ridden roads, with me along for a day to understand the daily battles against the elements he faces. Like many in Karachi, power outages are a regular setback, depriving families of even the basic comforts necessary to endure the sweltering climate.
Shahbaz, who has had to cut down on sleep due to the irregularities of electricity, understands that pausing his work isn’t an option; his family relies on his income for basic sustenance. "If I stop working, my family won’t eat," he stated candidly.
The ongoing heatwave presents a grim reality for many residents in Karachi as they find themselves merely "enduring" rather than "living," illustrating the human spirit's struggle against nature’s harshest conditions.
"It feels like living in a furnace," Shahbaz remarks while maneuvering his motorcycle over pothole-ridden roads, with me along for a day to understand the daily battles against the elements he faces. Like many in Karachi, power outages are a regular setback, depriving families of even the basic comforts necessary to endure the sweltering climate.
Shahbaz, who has had to cut down on sleep due to the irregularities of electricity, understands that pausing his work isn’t an option; his family relies on his income for basic sustenance. "If I stop working, my family won’t eat," he stated candidly.
The ongoing heatwave presents a grim reality for many residents in Karachi as they find themselves merely "enduring" rather than "living," illustrating the human spirit's struggle against nature’s harshest conditions.
