INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAnkit SrinivasImage caption
Sanjay Kumar has been working as a rickshaw puller for five years
"My eyes hurt and I struggle to breathe while pedalling my rickshaw
My body tells me to stop and run away from Delhi's toxic smog, but I have to keep going to earn for my family
Where else would I go The streets are our home," says Sanjay Kumar.He came to Delhi five years ago from the eastern state of Bihar in search
for a job, but couldn't find success
He chose to be rickshaw puller to feed himself and send some money to his family.That left him very little to rent a house, and he started
"I long for a bed but I know that's a distant dream
I long for proper meals but that too is scarce
The least I expect is to breathe clean air, but in winter months that too has become impossible
You can go to the comfort of your house, but I have to be on the street all the time," he adds.Air quality in the city worsens every year in
November and December as farmers in the neighbouring states burn crop stubble to clear their fields
People also set off firecrackers to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali and it adds to the unhealthy cocktail of toxic gases.Image
copyrightAnkit SrinivasImage copyrightAnkit SrinivasImage caption
Pollution levels in winter reach 30 times the safe
limit in some areas
Delhi has thousands of rickshaw pullers who provide last-mile connectivity to people
But as pollution levels reach 30 times the safe limit in some areas in winters, rickshaw pullers are worst affected.Pedalling a rickshaw
puts extra pressure on the lungs, and severe pollution makes the situation worse
The tiny toxic particles, known as PM2.5, can get deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream.India's Supreme Court also recently took
While hearing a pollution-related petition recently, the court told the government that advising people to stay indoors wasn't a
solution."They are doing heavy duty manual work
You cannot tell them that you stop your work because it is unsafe for you to work in the morning
This is a very critical situation," the court said.Every rickshaw puller I met was either coughing or complained about difficulty in
Some of them even struggled to finish sentences
At one metro station, the smog was so thick that one could almost taste ash
And the visibility was so poor that it was impossible to see beyond a few meters.But rickshaw pullers could still be seen on the street,
trying hard to pedal in the smog.Jai Chand Jadhav, who came to Delhi seven years ago from the eastern state of West Bengal, says taking a
break is not an option.Image copyrightAnkit SrinivasImage caption
Jai Chand Jadhav works from 6am to 11pm every day
My family depends on me, so I have to keep working - even if I am struggling to breathe," he says.Mr Jadhav starts his day at 6am and goes
to a nearby metro station to pick early morning commuters
He works until 11am before trying to find free food at temples and charity homes.He spends money on buying meals only when he can't find
Mr Jadhav continues to work until midnight and rests only when there are no commuters
He gets his evening meals from some restaurants which distribute leftover food to the homeless
But it's not always easy to find free food and going hungry is not very uncommon for the rickshaw pullers of Delhi
"I am used to sometimes pedalling my rickshaw without eating anything and I can handle that
It makes me feel like I am pedalling with a 50kg weight on my chest," he says.He has been unwell in the past few days and his coughing
became worse the day after Diwali last week."I don't understand why people set off firecrackers when the air is so bad
They go back to their homes but people like me have to suffer the consequences of their actions
People are just so insensitive in this city," he adds.Image copyrightAnkit SrinivasAs he continues to talk, several rickshaw pullers gather
around him - each complaining about the smog
One of them is Anand Mandal, who ended his 18-hour-long work day at midnight."Such long working hours are really tough
My chest is burning and I struggle to breathe properly, specially while pedalling
Last year, a colleague of mine had similar symptoms for days and he ended up in a hospital and couldn't work for months
I am really scared and praying that it doesn't happen to me," he says.It's the same story for most rickshaw pullers across the
city.Himasuddin, who started working in old Delhi two decades ago, says the air was never so bad in Delhi.Image copyrightAnkit SrinivasImage
caption
Himasuddin says he struggles to breathe while pedalling his rickshaw
"As a rickshaw puller, I
hardly contribute to pollution
Ours is a clean way of transportation
But it's ironic that we are the worst affected from the toxic smog," he says.He wants the government to help rickshaw pullers
"At the very least they can give us temporary shelter
We are dying a slow death and it's not even our fault
Nobody cares about us as if we don't even exist," he says.His frustration is understandable
The state and federal governments both routinely come up with "stay indoors" during the smog season
But unfortunately this is not an option for Delhi's rickshaw pullers, who have to just pedal on."I guess hunger is a bigger problem than
And that's why nobody cares
But we have to continue working no matter what," Himasuddin adds before disappearing into the thick smog.Pictures by Ankit Srinivas
