A few steps into his early-morning run, Purushottam Sahu struggled to breathe.
Overhead, a thick brown-gray haze blanketed the sprawling forest park in New Delhi where he and other joggers, yoga enthusiasts and dog owners were keeping to their daily habits despite official warnings against exerting themselves in the toxic air.
“We are all jogging faster toward death,” said Mr. Sahu, 46.
“Because we have no other choice.”Every year in the late fall, as air pollution in the Indian capital climbs to noxious extremes, the government takes emergency measures like closing schools, restricting traffic and banning construction.
But for the region’s 30 million inhabitants, life must go on, and for many in this urban expanse of lush parks and morning strolls, that means trying to remain active.
Persons:
Purushottam Sahu, ”, Sahu
Locations:
New Delhi