How bad air is suffocating sales on Delhi streets | Tech Reddy

People are flocking to malls where they have the luxury of air purifiers that leave street vendors high and dry on polluted streets.

Delhi Air Pollution: The National Capital Region is once again free this year from the toxic air that is affecting everyone’s daily life. People are forced to breathe poison because AQI levels are already in the critical category with no respite. The Delhi government yesterday announced several measures to mitigate the damage, such as closing primary schools, banning LMVs and announcing work-from-home for 50% of government employees, among many others. However, the bad air is not only suffocating the city dwellers but also taking the life out of the street vendors which are witnessing a decline in footfall due to bad weather in Delhi-NCR.

Street sales hit in Delhi-NCR

It is already very difficult for street vendors to survive in this toxic climate. But they are more worried about declining sales. People have started avoiding high streets like Khan Market and Connaught Place amid severe air pollution in Delhi and neighboring cities. People are flocking to malls where they have the luxury of air purifiers that leave street vendors high and dry on polluted streets.

“For the last three days, the crowd has reduced and the shops have also seen fewer people than last week. People are avoiding open spaces due to pollution,” Khan Market Traders Association president Sanjeev Mehra told ET.

Mall operators have not witnessed any reduction in footfall so far. While people may avoid the high streets, malls seem to continue to attract crowds across North India “

Many restaurants and retailers are in wait-and-see mode as Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) has crossed 450, indicating very severe levels, and the same is true in neighboring cities like Noida and Gurgaon.