NEW DELHI – India is facing two public health emergencies simultaneously: critically polluted air and the pandemic.
And Surinder Singh, a bus driver in the capital New Delhi, is trapped between them both.In previous years, the government encouraged more people to use buses that run on cleaner fuels, like the one he drives, as an emergency air quality measure.
But this year there are limits on passengers to maintain social distance. The air stings Singh's eyes and he worries about contracting the virus every time a person gets on board.
Still reeling from India’s harsh lockdown that dried up his $9 daily income for two months, the 47-year-old father of two says he has no choice but to work.