New Delhi: A new report on urban heat resilience in Delhi’s informal settlements, based on on-ground insights, suggests the use of low-cost, multi-layered roofs made from localised materials, including bamboo, jute and cardboard. These roofs can reduce indoor temperatures by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius of the outside temperature, stated the report.The report, Heat Solutions: Unboxing Learnings on Heat Resilient Housing from Urban Poor in Delhi, by Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group was released on Tuesday. It offers insights into how climate resilience can be built where it’s needed most—in informal settlements vulnerable to rising heat.According to the report, roof-type models were implemented in the identified wastepicker settlements in south and central Delhi. “Model 2, which used a layer each of tarpaulin, existing tin, insulation sheet, cardboard, bamboo and jute, was the most effective,” it pointed out. Under model 1, a layer each of tarpaulin, existing tin, insulation sheet, thermocol, bamboo and jute were used as a roof. “It was found that the temperature was 5°C less than outdoors, and 12°C less than a non-installation house (without such roofs),” said the report.Under model 2, the roof uses tarpaulin for waterproofing and retains the tin roof, but substitutes thermocol with cardboard for insulation, making it a more environmentally sustainable option. The insulation sheet, bamboo and jute are used similarly to model 1, providing insulation and structural support.“In this model, the temperature was 6°C less than outdoors and 13°C less than a non-installation house. However, the use of jute in informal settlements infested with pests caused these to destroy the roofs. Thus, this model won’t work for pest-infested areas or will have to be repeated every year,” said the report.Under model 3, a layer each of tarpaulin, cardboard, bamboo and existing tin were used, and mercury was found to be three degrees less than the outdoor temperature.According to the report, based on GIS mapping and Chintan’s area of operation, five informal settlements were identified for the current study on heat-resilient housing for the urban poor. This includes Bhalswa landfill, Nizamuddin Basti, Vivekananda Camp in Chanakyapuri, Hanuman Mazdoor Camp in RK Puram and Sihani in Ghaziabad.“A team of Chintan and STS Global surveyed 484 people living in identified wastepicker settlements. 100% of the respondents reported facing health impacts due to heatwaves,” said the report.While 45% of the respondents reported fainting and nausea when exposed to heat, 32% complained about a constant sense of fatigue and weakness. 27% of people reported breathlessness and asthma, which intensified during the peak summer.Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director of Chintan, said up to 30% of people in an Indian city lived in informal settlements, and their experience with heat was more intense and needed to be addressed with more nuance. “We have to address their thermal comfort if we want cities to continue to be running and we want health equity,” she said.

A.R. Rahman. File
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (May 6, 2025) stayed an interim order against music composer A.R. Rahman and the makers of the film Ponniyin Selvan 2 over an alleged copyright infringement case related to the song ‘Veera Raja Veera’ featured in the 2023 film.

A Bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Ajay Digpaul, however, directed Mr. Rahman and the makers of the film to deposit within 10 days ₹2 crore with its registry, as directed by the Single Judge Bench April 25 order.

The court posted Mr. Rahman’s stay application and the appeal challenging the single judge’s order on May 23.

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The Single Judge Bench’s order came on a lawsuit by classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who accused Mr. Rahman and the film’s production houses – Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions – of unauthorised use of a classical composition titled ‘Shiva Stuti’, originally composed by the Junior Dagar Brothers, Late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar.

Justice Prathiba M. Singh had held that the ‘Veera Raja Veera’ song is “not merely based on or inspired from the suit composition – Shiva Stuti but is, in fact, identical to the suit composition with mere change in lyrics”. Additionally, Justice Singh had awarded ₹2 lakh as costs to Mr. Dagar, to be paid by Mr. Rahman and other defendants within four weeks.

Created in 1970s

According to Mr. Dagar, the ‘Shiva Stuti’ composition was created by his father and uncle, also known as the Junior Dagar Brothers, sometime in the 1970s. He claimed that following his father and uncle’s demise in 1989 and 1994, respectively, the copyright passed to him through an oral family settlement among the legal heirs.

Mr. Dagar had claimed that the composition was shared with Mr. Rahman without his knowledge or authorisation and was subsequently used in the film’s soundtrack without appropriate credit.