The detrimental effects of environmental change are disproportionately impacting the most impoverished, particularly evident in India’s capital, where toxic smog engulfs the air. In Old Delhi, Rizwan, a 39-year-old rickshaw tricycle peddler, navigates narrow streets, earning around seven dollars on a good day. Delhi’s pervasive smog, one of the world’s worst for air quality, poses severe health risks, with fine particulate matter often exceeding the World Health Organization’s safety limits by over 30 times.
Efforts by Delhi authorities, such as urging people to work from home and limit outdoor activities, prove challenging for individuals like Rizwan, who face a stark choice between work and survival. Despite short-term measures like smog guns and sprinklers, the root causes of the smog, driven by industrial and vehicular emissions along with agricultural fires, remain largely unaddressed.
Residents unable to implement personal measures to mitigate pollution impact perceive it as an additional burden. As experts emphasize the urgent need for sustained action throughout the year, the impoverished individuals, like Rizwan, underscore the critical necessity for comprehensive strategies to ensure breathable air for all.
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