a tale of two delhis: deadly air exposes rich poor divide - purified air

Walls covered in lush vertical gardens and air filtered through purifiers isolate diners at New Delhi's food court from the choking smoke outside one of the most polluted places on Earth. But these eco-
Restaurants offer cleaner air and modern menus for the rich, which are out of reach for the poor, and they have little way to escape the deadly smog that hangs over the city for most of the year.
According to a study by Lancet Planetary Health, air pollution causes more than 1 million Indian deaths every year, and Delhi is one of the world's most toxic city centers, often surpassing the World Health Organization (WHO)limits.
But for Ramavtar Singh, there is no way out: like many of the poorest people in the city, he eats, sleeps and works outside.
"I work 6 to 8 hours a day and my children eat and sleep outside most of the year," the father of the five told AFP at a roadside snack bar, gobbled up a drink
Rice is combined with lentils.
Singh makes a living by riding a rickshaw to transport passengers and goods around Delhi by bike, a hard activity that means he sucks dangerous concentrations of tiny pollutants into his lungs.
At best, he can cover his mouth with a rag on a foggy day, which is a low
The cost approach taken by workers and rickshaw drivers does little to prevent the most dangerous particles from entering the blood.
From October to February, smog peaked in Delhi, usually exceeding WHO's advice on pm2. 5. 5 --
Tiny and harmful air particles-
Some days the security limit for registration is more than 20 times.
Experts warn that the long-term impact of living in pollution on health is catastrophic, often leading to chronic diseases and sometimes premature deaths. -
Fast oxygen injection-
On the other side of the town, Abhimanyu Mawatwal is settling down for lunch at a food court in world mark Aerocity, a large commercial center with pure air.
Eating a meal here can cost Singh twice a month's salary, but that's the price Mawatwal is willing to pay because places outside the smog are at a dangerous level.
"I like to come here for dinner.
It's like breathing oxygen quickly, "said the office worker, who breathed a lot of filtered air that was circulating through expensive filters.
"We need to bring green to the concrete jungle and create places where everyone can breathe fresh air," S insists. K.
Sayal ceo ba property owns Aerocity reputation.
Rich people in Delhi usually have a better understanding of the dangers of pollution, and they are increasingly expecting them to have the same safety measures at home that they can use when they go out. High-
Restaurants, bars and cinemas are meeting this demand. -
Install an electronic air purifier and create a dedicated area of rich vegetation to help filter toxins in the air.
But for Singh and one out of every five Indians living on less than $2 a day, visiting such a place is nothing more than a fantasy.
"What would I do if I spent all my money on a meal?
How will I feed my family?
"The driver said he earned about Rs 1,200. $17)a month.
He can't dream of buying foreign.
To protect the family at home, an air purifier was created--
Machines favored by Delhi's elite, foreign communities and office workers ---
It's easy to pay for Singh's annual salary.
"The rich and the poor must breathe the same toxic air.
But the poor are more vulnerable to pollution, "explains Sunil Dahiya, an activist at Greenpeace India.
He added: "Most of the time, they don't even know what the toxic air has to do with their health.
Poor communities must be the ones who fail.