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‘We are breathing smog to survive’: Delhi’s dirty air is killing the city’s invisible workforce
Trapped in toxic smog and insecure, many of the Indian capital’s informal workers still end up risking their health for a day’s wages
On a cold January morning in Mehrauli, in south Delhi, in a one-room shanty, 36-year-old Meneka Deviki coughs and her chest feels tight, but she cannot skip a day of work. It would mean no food on the table for her family of five.
The air is enveloped in a grey haze, and it carries a chill and a slight smell. Deviki leaves home for work, kicking up more dust on the way to her place of employment, a building site 3km away from her home. India’s capital has a population of over 20 million and is experiencing a construction boom.
Delhi and several regions across North India are in the grip of a prolonged cold wave, with temperatures plunging to multi‑year lows. On Friday, the capital recorded a low of 2.9°C – its coldest morning in three years. The cold, however, brings another issue: pollution. This year, Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of above 500, making it the world’s most polluted city.
The unorganized workforce that labors outdoors is impacted most harshly by the toxic winter air. While authorities last month advised government and private offices to adopt work-from-home measures, daily-wage workers, vendors, construction laborers, and delivery staff have no such option. For them, staying home means losing income.
Toxic trap
Deviki starts work at the construction site at 8:20am. She rests for five minutes before beginning to carry material on her head to the building. “For the day, I have to deal with toxic air and the dust at the site. It is cold too, but I cannot help. I have to work. I don’t care about air pollution anymore,” she told RT.
At the end of the day, Deviki says that her hair is covered with dust and her skin feels dry. “The cough gets worse at night. We are poor people, we need to earn during the day and eat in the evening,” she adds.
Sometimes during work, Deviki wants to rest. But pausing for too long means the supervisor can dismiss her from work.
“I feel my health deteriorating due to air pollution and continuous exposure to dust, what other option do I have?” Deviki asks as she continues her work in the cold.
Experts warn that Delhi’s air pollution is a serious health threat as winter conditions trap toxic smog over the city. In December 2025, the AQI often fell in the “very poor” to “severe” range (with readings above 500 at many monitoring stations), well beyond safe limits and considered a health hazard.
Occasionally, improvements bring the AQI down to the “poor” range (around 234–279), but the overall trend shows persistently unhealthy air for much of the winter.
Doctors say that prolonged exposure to these high AQI levels poses serious respiratory and cardiovascular risks, especially for people like Deviki who work outdoors and cannot avoid breathing Delhi’s polluted air.
The recurring problem and the fixes
Air quality in Delhi worsens considerably during winters, starting from October to February. Experts say multiple factors are responsible for this, including stubble burning in the neighboring states, heavy traffic, industrial emissions, and weather conditions that trap the polluted air close to the ground.
In these months, the pollution reaches hazardous levels, with the prime pollutants particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) rising far beyond safe limits.
The Delhi government launched the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025 in January, hailing it as a seminal step in the city’s efforts to clean its air. The plan is a blend of technology‑driven solutions, with the introduction of more stringent regulations, and public participation to confront pollution, according to authorities.
The Delhi government has also introduced a financial support scheme for construction workers affected by restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). During GRAP‑III and GRAP‑IV, when construction activities were halted to reduce pollution, the government announced compensation of 10,000 rupees ($110) per registered worker through a direct benefit transfer model.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has called pollution a “legacy problem” that cannot be fixed with a “magic wand” and said her government was taking all measures to curb it, exceeding the efforts of her predecessors.
“The government is doing everything from anti‑dust drives and strict GRAP curbs to sewage interception and large‑scale cleaning drives. Our government has taken all the pollution‑related measures that previous governments did not take, like mitigation plans, stricter action on industrial pollution, activating enforcement agencies, and efforts to eliminate open burning,” she said.
Little option for the city’s informal workers
When Delhi’s air becomes toxic, the city’s better-off have the option to remain indoors, where many can log in from laptops, and schools move classes online. But outside the metro station in Panchseel Park, 36-year-old Rashmi Tinka has no such option.
She leans over a makeshift cart of momos and boiled eggs, wrapped in a sari and an overcoat. Her cart is decorated with colorful lights. The air grows hazy as evening approaches, and this is when she expects more customers. She needs to stay there amid the cold.
“We are breathing smog to survive,” she says. “My eyes burn all day. Sometimes I have a headache. Our work has no rest option,” she explains.
Tinka is one of the millions of workers in Delhi’s vast informal economy who keep the city running – selling food, hauling bricks, and picking up waste – mostly outdoors.
Both Deviki and Tinka say that when emergency pollution measures are implemented by the authorities, they hardly feel any change as they have too keep working and stay outside.
A report by Greenpeace India and the Workers’ Collective for Climate Justice South Asia, titled ‘Laboring through the Climate Crisis,’ released in May 2025, notes that Delhi alone is home to over 400,000 street vendors, about 200,000 waste pickers, around 500,000 domestic workers, and 500,000 rickshaw pullers. The report notes the workers often endure long hours outdoors without access to basic services like clean water, cooling spaces, sanitation, or shelter.
Various studies put the percentage of Delhi’s workforce employed in the informal sector at around 80%, with 82% of men and 76% of women working informally. According to the E‑Shram portal, a government platform where unorganized sector workers can register to gain better access to social security schemes, 3.6 million informal workers are registered in Delhi, with the largest share engaged in the construction sector. This means only a small fraction of informal worker are registered on government platforms like the e-Shram portal, which connects them to social security services.
Health risks from pollution
When the AQI entered “severe” levels for several days in November, authorities announced a familiar response: schools shut down or moved online, and government offices were asked to have 50% work from home. Traffic was staggered, construction sites were ordered to close, and advisories urged the elderly and those with respiratory issues to stay indoors.
In the west part of Delhi’s Seelampur, 24-year-old Mohammad Irfan, a waste picker, stood in a thin sweatshirt as he carried a big dust bin in his hand, collecting waste from scores of houses throughout the day.
“Our worry is always that the work should not stop,” he states. “Even if my chest hurts, I need to keep working,” he said.
A 2023 study conducted by the Indian organization Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group and the international organization Clean Air Fund have looked into the effects of outdoor pollution on the lungs of waste pickers, sanitation workers, and security guards in the city of Delhi.
It found that the prevalence of abnormal lung function had reached 75% among waste pickers, 86% in sanitation workers, and 86% in security guards, as opposed to 45% in the control group. Severe lung disease was found in 17%, 27%, and 10% of the aforementioned workers, respectively, as opposed to none in the control group.
A survey of 590 informal workers across various neighborhoods in the capital conducted by Help Delhi Breathe and the Mahila Housing Trust found in 2024 that 94% believed air pollution harmed their health. Additionally, 91% reported feeling sick or uncomfortable when air quality worsened. However, 95% feared losing their jobs if they voiced concerns about air quality at work. Many were daily wage earners – construction workers, street vendors, waste pickers, and small-scale factory workers – who simply could not afford to stop working.
“Informal workers are caught in a cruel paradox,” says Bijal Brahmbhatt, director of the Mahila Housing Trust, which supports women in informal settlements and has tracked the impact of pollution on their health and livelihoods.
The Help Delhi Breathe study also indicates that workers near landfill sites face additional health issues beyond air pollution, such as contaminated water, toxic fumes from burning garbage, and handling toxic waste without protective gear.
Health experts warn that outdoor workers face a higher risk of being affected due to ongoing exposure to toxic air. “People who work outdoors in Delhi – traffic police, construction workers, vendors, delivery personnel – are at the highest risk because they cannot avoid exposure,” says Dr. Randeep Guleria, a senior pulmonologist in New Delhi.
“They breathe this polluted air for long hours every day, which is similar to being chronic smokers. Over time, it causes permanent damage to their lungs and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.”
Back at her construction site, Deviki hopes that the air quality improves and she can work more comfortably. “I hope that this cold is over, and the air is cleaner soon.”
Ukrainian mayor blasts Zelensky’s ‘unity BS’
The official hit out after a police raid on his administration in Dnepr as the city grapples with an energy crisis
The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Dnepr has lashed out at the central government in Kiev, accusing it of spreading “bullsh*t” about national unity and interfering with his city’s governance through a police raid.
In an angry social media post on Tuesday, Boris Filatov said Vladimir Zelensky’s administration should “stop the bullsh*t about ‘national unity, resolve, and reform of the government” and “rein in your rabid dogs, who are now 100% behaving like a fifth column.”
Ukrainian police later confirmed executing search warrants at several locations, including the Dnepr city council, as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement of state funds related to garbage management.
Filatov said the raid disrupted his office’s response to an escalating energy crisis during a cold snap and ongoing hostilities with Russia. He suggested Kiev should “appoint your prosecutors and cops to govern things and bear full responsibility” for Dnepr.
The Ukrainian government has long clashed with mayors of major cities over municipal authority. Tensions, as in recent exchanges between Zelensky and Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, are normally kept private in the name of national unity.
Last year, after US President Donald Trump called Zelensky “a dictator without elections,” Filatov defended the Ukrainian leader, saying no foreigner has the right to criticize him regardless of his actions. Zelensky retains presidential powers under martial law even though his term expired in 2024 and elections have not been held.
Last October, Zelensky used those very powers to revoke the Ukrainian citizenship of Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov, making him ineligible for public office. Trukhanov was later placed under house arrest on allegations of mismanaging municipal infrastructure, while the Black Sea port city was placed under a Kiev-appointed administration.
Russia has intensified long-range strikes on Ukraine’s power grid in what Moscow calls retaliation for Kiev’s attacks on Russian oil infrastructure with kamikaze drones and missiles. The Russian Defense Ministry says the strikes also undercut production of Ukrainian weapons used in the attacks.
Several Ukrainian cities are facing electricity and heating shortages this month due to the energy emergency and severe cold weather.
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Ukrainian MPs ready to renounce claim to Donbass – Die Welt
Kiev has to reach a compromise with Moscow even if it’s “extremely painful,” a high-ranking lawmaker has told the German newspaper
Ukrainian MPs are ready to renounce Kiev’s claim to Donbass in order to achieve peace with Russia, German outlet Die Welt has claimed, citing a high-ranking lawmaker.
The report comes amid accelerated advances by Russian forces along most of the front line. Moscow said last week that eight settlements and a total of 300 square kilometers had been liberated in the first two weeks of January alone.
Die Welt’s correspondent in the Ukraine, Steffen Schwarzkopf, said live on air on Saturday that “an extremely influential parliamentarian” told him that the deteriorating situation has made many Ukrainian MPs change their stance on territorial concessions to Moscow.
According to Schwarzkopf, his interlocutor acknowledged that “yes, we have to make a compromise, even if it’s extremely painful; and yes, we have to give up Donbass.”
The MP noted that she and her colleagues believe a ceasefire is needed “at any cost,” the correspondent said.
The lawmaker refused to talk on camera because what she said contradicts the position of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, who has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of giving up any land to Russia, he stressed.
Schwarzkopf claimed that the MP told him there is “a climate of fear” in Kiev and that her political career “would be over immediately” under pressure from the secret services if she made such statements publicly.
In his address to the Russian Foreign Ministry in June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow will stop hostilities if Kiev officially renounces its aspirations to join NATO and withdraws troops from the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbass, and from the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye. The four territories joined the Russian state in the fall of 2022 as a result of referendums.
Russia’s stance has since hardened, however. Putin said in late December that considering the events on the ground, Moscow has “practically zero” interest in a Ukrainian pullout from Donbass and other areas, and that Russia will achieve its aims either diplomatically or militarily.
Getting Greenland would be ‘huge historical achievement’ for Trump – political consultant
Many US presidents have wanted to take the Arctic island, but none succeeded, Adriel Kasonta has told RT
The annexation of Greenland by US President Donald Trump would go down in US history as a “huge” achievement, political risk consultant and lawyer Adriel Kasonta has told RT.
Trump has escalated his push to take the Danish overseas territory in recent weeks. He has argued that European NATO states cannot hold it against an alleged Russian and Chinese threat, warning that Washington would have it one way or another.
“It will be a huge win for Donald Trump, because… many presidents before saw the strategic importance of Greenland… and they wanted to acquire Greenland, but without any successful result,” Kasonta said in an interview on Sunday.
If Trump were to acquire the Arctic island for the US, “he would succeed in securing the security of Northern America where other presidents in the past failed.”
It would be a huge historical achievement for Donald Trump and his presidency and the future of the United States.
The island is the only key territory the US needs for securing “the Western Hemisphere” in its sphere of influence, he said. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Washington needs Greenland for national security.
According to Kasonta, control over Greenland would also give the US access to critical minerals.
“It gives the primacy also in securing the supply chains of rare earth minerals that are currently being dominated by China,” he said, adding that the island also has a wealth of lithium and cobalt.
Controlling these deposits would turn the US from being “minerals dependent” into the “key exporter” of materials important in high-tech manufacturing and take away Beijing’s “leverage” on Washington, he argued.
Danish geological surveys estimate that Greenland holds more than 36 million tonnes of rare earth deposits, although only 1.5 million tonnes are considered proven.
Currently, China overwhelmingly leads the world in rare earth production and refining. Beijing leveraged export controls on the key minerals in its on-and-off trade war with Washington last year.
Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese Catholic Women and Men Auxiliary donate food items to St. Victor Major Seminary
The Catholic Women and Men Auxiliary of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese has donated food items and cash to the St. Victor Major Seminary as part of efforts to support the needy and strengthen the Church’s mission of evangelisation and social responsibility.
The items were presented by the Diocesan President of the Catholic Women and Men Auxiliary and National Vice Chairman of the Christian Mothers Association (CMA), Mrs. Carolina Gornaah, on behalf of the association. The donation included foodstuffs and an undisclosed amount of money to support the formation and welfare of seminarians.
Mrs. Gornaah said the gesture was inspired by the commitment of the Bishops to the growth of the association and the spread of the Word of God, adding that Catholic women and men could not remain unconcerned in the face of the needs of the vulnerable.
“As mothers and fathers in the Church, we cannot fold our arms and look on while others are in need,” she said.
“This donation is our modest way of supporting the good work of the Bishops and contributing to the part of the Church’s plan that focuses on the poor and the vulnerable.”
She stressed that the association is committed to grooming future leaders, particularly the girl child, while ensuring boys are equally nurtured to become responsible members of society.
“We are grooming the girl child to become a future leader, and not only the girl child but boys as well,” Mrs. Gornaah noted, while calling on government to increase women’s representation in decision-making at all levels.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the Catholic Bishop, Rev. Fr. Peter Ayamga expressed gratitude to the association for its continuous support to the Church.
“Though the Bishops give directives, the real support comes from you, the Catholic women and men. Without your commitment, much of this work would not be possible, and we are deeply grateful,” he said.
Fr. Ayamga encouraged the association to strengthen internal organisation by recognising the diverse gifts and ministries within its membership.
“Standing and ad hoc committees should be constituted to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to use their gifts-not only material resources and business skills, but also spiritual gifts that draw people closer to God,” he advised.
He added that continuous education within the association was key to empowering widows and the needy.
“The needy and widows are not helpless. With the right support and understanding, they can grow from strength to strength,” he said.
The Spiritual Directress of the Catholic Women Association, Reverend Sister Ignatia Buaben, described women as pillars of families and society, calling for greater female participation in governance.
“Women have good hearts for their families and society. When women are involved in governance, it is always for the better,” she stated, urging government to recruit more women into decision-making positions.
Members of the association present at the ceremony also appealed to chiefs, queen mothers, tindaanas, politicians, NGOs and government to intensify efforts to combat youth drug abuse, describing it as a growing threat to the future of the country.
The donation forms part of the association’s broader mission to support the poor materially and spiritually, while strengthening Catholic evangelisation through collective action and service to humanity.
Winkogo Youth Protest Over Deplorable Roads
Youth of Winkogo in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region have mounted a blockade on the Winkogo stretch of the Tamale–Bolgatanga highway, demanding urgent repairs to what they describe as a deplorable and life-threatening road.
The aggrieved youth say the poor condition of the road has led to the loss of several lives through frequent crashes, while the excessive dust from the untarred and damaged sections has exposed residents to serious health risks, including respiratory and lung-related diseases.
The protest, which temporarily disrupted vehicular movement along the busy highway, saw the youth blocking the road with stones, logs, and other objects to draw attention to their long-standing concerns. According to them, repeated appeals to relevant authorities to fix the road have yielded no results.
At a press conference held on the shoulders of the affected stretch, the youth warned that this action marks only the beginning of a series of demonstrations if authorities fail to respond promptly to their demands. The press statement was read by Patrick Anaba on behalf of the youth of Winkogo.
Mr. Anaba described the state of the road as a major threat to the safety, health, and economic activities of the community. He noted that commercial drivers and motorcyclists often struggle to navigate the stretch, especially during the rainy season, resulting in frequent accidents, some of which have claimed lives.
“The dust from this road is unbearable. Our people, especially children and the elderly, are developing persistent coughs and other lung-related diseases. This situation is no longer acceptable,” he said.
He further explained that Winkogo is an important community along the Tamale–Bolgatanga highway, which serves as a major transit route linking the northern and upper parts of the country. The poor condition of the road, he said, affects not only residents but also traders, commuters, and travelers who rely on the highway daily.
According to the youth, the bad road is also negatively affecting local businesses, increasing transportation costs, and discouraging economic activities in the area. They argued that fixing the road would not only save lives but also improve livelihoods and boost development in the Talensi District.
Mr. Anaba emphasized that the press conference should be seen as a formal notice to the government, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Ghana Highway Authority, and other relevant agencies. He warned that if no concrete action is taken within a reasonable time, the youth would escalate their protests through sustained demonstrations.
The youth, however, appealed for calm among residents and called on authorities to act swiftly to prevent further loss of lives and deterioration of health conditions in the community.
NPP Presidential Aspirants To Sign Peace Pact.
All presidential aspirants for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), set to sign a peace pact on Thursday, January 22, in a move aimed at preventing internal divisions and ensuring a peaceful flagbearer election.
Isaac Yaw Boamah-Nyarko, MP for Effia and a member of the NPP’s presidential election committee said,the Forum that former party presidents and representatives of the National Peace Council will also be part of the signing.
“On Thursday, we are going to sign the peace pact. All the aspirants, together with our former presidents and the Peace Council, will sign a peace pact that commits them to the outcome of the election. The peace pact is to make it clear that whether you win or lose, you owe it to the party to pull everybody along,” he said.
Mr Boamah-Nyarko stressed that the initiative is meant to shield the party from factional tensions and security incidents that could undermine the process.
He confirmed that the Ghana Police Service will oversee security during the election, warning that “no machismo, no bodyguardism will be entertained,” and that any attempts to disrupt the process will be dealt with.
He further urged aspirants to focus on their ideas and track records, rather than personal attacks, noting that unity after the election is vital to strengthen the party’s chances against the ruling NDC in 2028.
“This party has survived worse moments,” he said, emphasising that maintaining cohesion will restore public confidence and position the NPP for a return to power.
Gov’t Extends Amnesty Window To January, 30.
The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) has vowed to arrest and prosecute anyone found in possession of an unregistered or illicit firearm after January 30, 2026, as security agencies prepare to intensify enforcement operations across the country.
The warning follows the decision by the Minister for the Interior to extend the Gun Amnesty Programme (GAP) by an additional two weeks, a move NACSA says gives the public a final opportunity to comply voluntarily.
The extension, running from January 16 to January 30, 2026, comes after an encouraging response during the initial amnesty period, which started on December 1, 2025, and was due to end on January 15, 2026.
According to Authories, the additional window particularly targets individuals in hard-to-reach communities, allowing them to surrender or register unlicensed or illicit firearms without fear of interrogation, arrest, or prosecution.
However, the Commission emphasised that the amnesty period will not be extended beyond January 30, and strict enforcement will commence immediately after the deadline.
“After 30th January, 2026, security agencies will intensify enforcement operations, and any person found in possession of an unregistered or illicit firearm will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” the Commission stated.