New Delhi, India — Amid the toxic smog shrouding India’s capital, New Delhi, Gola Noor pushes a wooden cart loaded with waste while her husband, Shahbaz, coughs and struggles to pedal their cycle.
Every day at 6am, the couple, both in their early forties, venture out to collect waste in affluent areas of Delhi. Shahbaz, stopping frequently to catch his breath, remarks on the imminent threat in the air. The pollution has reached hazardous levels, with the Air Quality Index exceeding 1,700, more than 17 times the acceptable limit.
Despite Noor spending a night in the hospital due to eye irritation from the pollution, she returns to work with Shahbaz the next day, emphasizing the desperate need to continue their work to survive in the face of suffocating conditions.
For nearly three weeks, New Delhi has been engulfed in a deadly smog, leading to health crises and disruptions in daily life. The situation has been termed a “medical emergency” by the region’s chief minister, with schools closing and visibility reduced to dangerously low levels.
The worsening pollution in the city has resulted in severe health issues, particularly impacting neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory health. The marginalized populations bear the brunt of the pollution, exacerbating existing social inequalities.
