At a textile manufacturer on the outskirts of Surat, India, dozens of workers labor in a low-ceilinged factory where blazing temperatures and high humidity are intensified by steam and heat from industrial machines. The machines, called stenters, roar like engines. Boilers hiss and drum washers release clouds of steam. The Associated Press, which reported the conditions on a recent afternoon in the Sachin area, described the sound as relentless and the air as heavy with heat and chemical smells.
Soni Pande, a 27-year-old worker and single mother who came to Surat from Bihar state in eastern India, said fans and coolers that spray mist offer some help but are no match for the hottest days. “The heat does make us weak. We sweat a lot. Some people feel dizzy, unwell,” Pande said. “There are fans and coolers, but it’s still so hot inside.”
Pande’s account underscores a persistent challenge for India’s vast textile manufacturing sector, where extreme heat — compounded by the very machinery needed for production — creates hazardous conditions for workers. The cooler and fan systems at the factory, while present, are regularly overpowered by the combination of outdoor temperatures, steam, and radiating machine heat, according to the AP report.