For nearly four decades, Karmunisha has sold vegetables from a handcart in Delhi’s Sundar Nagri. Her work has become harder each year as she battles extreme weather, toxic air and social hostility toward street vendors. Both she and her husband now suffer from chronic breathing problems that have worsened sharply in recent days as pollution levels have surged. Doctors have advised her to rest, but missing work is not an option. She must wash vegetables, set up her cart and stand in smog for hours to earn a basic income. When breathlessness overwhelms her, she rests on a cot at the end of her lane because her small, unventilated home offers little relief. Frequent coughing often drives customers away, causing vegetables to spoil and adding to her losses.
Just a few lanes away, Abdul, a long-time banana seller, faces similar struggles. His respiratory illness worsens every winter, reducing his income and forcing his 12-year-old daughter to manage the stall while juggling schoolwork. Her childhood and studies suffer as she takes on responsibilities far beyond her age.
Their stories reflect the reality of millions of informal and outdoor workers in Delhi. About 80 percent of the city’s workforce is in the informal sector, including street vendors, construction labourers, rickshaw pullers, waste pickers and gig workers. They are the most exposed to polluted air yet remain largely invisible in public debates. Research and policy discussions often focus on middle-class concerns, while informal settlements are unfairly blamed for the crisis. Few studies examine the direct toll on outdoor workers who contribute the least to pollution but bear the greatest burden.
For these workers, the threat extends from streets and markets to their own homes. Informal settlements are densely packed, poorly ventilated and lack clean energy access. With no green cover, no air purifiers and limited healthcare, workers breathe the same toxic air round the clock.
Most proposed solutions overlook this majority. Advisories to stay indoors or work from home are irrelevant for labourers who rely on outdoor work. School closures also fail families living in polluted neighbourhoods, adding to their stress. Instead, measures such as air purification systems in schools and targeted support for workers are urgently needed.
Delhi’s pollution crisis is not only an environmental problem. It is a question of justice and equity. Immediate, scalable and worker-centred interventions are essential. Work loss compensation and climate safety measures must be prioritised. Models such as SEWA’s heatwave insurance show that practical solutions are possible when built around workers’ realities. Protecting Delhi’s informal workforce is critical to ensuring both fairness and the city’s long-term resilien