In the heart of India's capital, a daily battle against an invisible enemy unfolds long before the sun rises. For 25 years, Lal Babu, a 45-year-old vegetable vendor, has witnessed Delhi's transformation, not just in its sprawling growth but in the thickening, toxic blanket of air that now defines its winters. His life, a relentless 14-hour daily cycle, is a stark illustration of how the city's severe air pollution crisis directly impacts its most vulnerable workers.
A Pre-Dawn Journey Through Toxic Air
Every morning at 4 AM, Lal Babu begins his day in a narrow lane of central Delhi. After a quick freshening up, he ties a cloth over his mouth, tucks a mask into his pocket, and steps out into the chilly, polluted darkness. His destination is the massive Azadpur Sabzi Mandi in north Delhi, reached via near-empty metro platforms in the pre-dawn hours.
The air feels heavy and oppressive. Dust hangs low, and wisps of smoke curl from roadsides, creating a cocktail of cold wind and smog that stings his nose and throat. "Mornings are the worst," Babu states. Coughing is a constant companion. On particularly bad days, the burning sensation in his eyes and throat forces him to repeatedly splash water on his face and rinse his mouth. His personal remedy is a belief in traditional aids: milk mixed with turmeric and jaggery to keep his lungs functioning.
The Open-Air Stall: A Frontline Against Pollution
By the time Babu returns to his locality with fresh produce, the city is awake. He sets up his makeshift stall in the open, with little to no protection from the foul air. Here, a new challenge emerges: protecting the vegetables. Fine wood shavings from nearby furniture shops and exhaust fumes from endless streams of vehicles constantly settle on the fresh greens.
"Earlier, the vegetables did not dry or wilt this fast. Now, I need to take extra care so that they last the day," he explains. His routine now involves repeatedly spraying the produce with water before covering them with soaked cloth sheets. This is a significant change from his early years in the business, where such frequent intervention was unnecessary.
Health, Livelihood, and an Uncertain Future
The pollution doesn't just damage the vegetables; it takes a severe toll on health and livelihood. While the average citizen retreats indoors as the Air Quality Index (AQI) plunges, vendors like Babu have no such option. They stand exposed for 14 hours a day, seven days a week. The sales pattern itself shifts with the winter smog. During peak pollution periods, fewer customers venture out, relying instead on online deliveries, causing a direct dip in Babu's income even as his work becomes more physically demanding.
Practicality often overrides protection. He wears a mask during his metro commute but cannot keep it on at the stall. "I have to talk to customers and lift heavy crates. The mask becomes a burden," he says. His deepest worry extends to his three children, who study in classes V, VI, and VIII. When they occasionally help him, they cough frequently and fall ill more often in winter. "I try to keep them away from the stall as much as possible," Babu shares, his concern palpable.
After a quarter-century in Delhi, Babu is a living record of the city's deteriorating air quality. "Pollution was never this bad," he asserts. When asked about solutions, he pauses, uncertain. "We have to function in the open. There is no choice. If there is some support during peak pollution, even basic protection, it will help." Until that support arrives, Lal Babu will continue his pre-dawn journeys and long days in the toxic air, ensuring the city gets its fresh vegetables, even as he, and the city itself, struggles to breathe.
