New Delhi is currently facing a severe crisis as the city is enveloped in toxic smog, with the Air Quality Index hitting alarming levels. The smog, containing hazardous levels of PM2.5, is causing respiratory issues and other health problems for the city’s residents. The impact of the pollution is vast and severely inequitable, with poorer households bearing a disproportionally high burden of the pollution caused by others.
One such family, Gola Noor and Shahbaz, spend their days picking waste in affluent localities to make ends meet, despite the hazardous air quality. Their daughter, who fell ill due to pollution-related tuberculosis, is just one example of the devastating impact on families in the city. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of effective government measures to address the root causes of pollution, with temporary bandages like sprinkling water being used instead.
Environmental activists, like Bhavreen Khandari, are advocating for cleaner air, highlighting the impact of pollution on children’s health and quality of life. The lack of political will and structural overhaul in government policies is a major challenge in addressing the crisis. For workers like Sheikh Ali, who has been pulling a rickshaw in the city for over two decades, the pollution has become unbearable, with his grandson now suffering from respiratory issues.
As New Delhi grapples with this ongoing crisis, the residents, particularly the poor and vulnerable, continue to bear the brunt of the city’s toxic air. The need for comprehensive and sustainable solutions to combat the pollution is becoming increasingly urgent to safeguard the health and well-being of all residents.
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