Delhi’s anti-pollution measures cause livelihood crisis for daily wage workers

As authorities in the Delhi-NCR region enforce measures to address the deteriorating air quality, daily wage workers in the construction sector are bearing the brunt of the restrictions, which have left their livelihoods in jeopardy.

Workers who rely on daily earnings to survive are expressing concerns that their families, particularly their children, may go hungry.

Construction and demolition activities (C&D) are prohibited under the current GRAP-IV regulations, which were implemented after parts of Delhi reported “severe-plus” air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeding 450.

Suman, a 45-year-old mother of two, voices her distress: “If we sit at home, what will we eat? What will we feed our children?”

Having recently renewed her labour card in hopes of receiving government assistance, she finds herself frustrated by the lack of support. “We don’t have government jobs where salaries come automatically. We survive on daily earnings, and without work, we have nothing,” she says.

A thick grey haze blanketed the capital on Tuesday, with the AQI reaching 488. The city’s air quality had fallen into the ‘severe plus’ category on Sunday, prompting authorities to enforce Stage IV measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Monday.

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These measures include a ban on construction and demolition activities, restrictions on truck entries (except for those carrying essential goods or using clean fuel), and the closure of schools. Offices have also been instructed to adjust for their employees.

For Babu Ram, a 63-year-old construction worker, the suspension of C&D work has worsened an already difficult financial situation. With a wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild to care for, as well as a debt of Rs 3 lakh, he feels the weight of the crisis.

“There’s no pension for people like me. Schemes like Ladli Behna are full of corruption, middlemen take everything, and we get nothing,” he says. “If I can’t work, my family won’t survive”.

Likewise, Rajesh Kumar, a 42-year-old labourer, shares that his family in Bihar depends on the money he sends home.

“I haven’t married yet because I have many responsibilities, including my sister’s wedding, which has left me with a debt of Rs 6 lakh,” he explains.

“This happens every year—pollution cripples Delhi, but instead of addressing the issue, the government adds more obstacles for people like us,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)