Aruna Bhattacharya

I lead urban health research, academics, and practice at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements in Bangalore. My WomenLift Health leadership project focuses on the non-communicable disease (NCD) burden among sanitation workers. Sanitation work, intrinsically linked to public health, has historically shaped urban health discourses. With rapid urbanization and the escalating impacts of climate change, the lives and experiences of sanitation workers demand critical attention.

I am exploring the lived realities of these workers in a marginalized urban neighborhood of Bengaluru, India, focusing on their health-seeking behavior, coping mechanisms, and survival strategies as they navigate hazardous work and living conditions. Rising urban heat, intensified by climate change, further exacerbates their challenges. These predominantly long-term Dalit migrants are essential to the city’s sanitation system, yet their labor exposes them to a complex array of occupational hazards, worsened by extreme weather events. This work aims to foster policy dialogues for inclusive and resilient urban systems, where health is at the core.