Delhi Waste Pickers: Support & Challenges
- New Delhi faces a severe air pollution crisis, with concentrations of fine particulate matter regularly exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) safe limits by 30 times.
- The city's poorest residents, already struggling with extreme heat and hazardous working conditions, are particularly vulnerable.
- Globally, the transport sector accounts for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Delhi’s air pollution crisis disproportionately impacts its most vulnerable, including waste pickers, who face severe health risks due to PM2.5 levels 30 times above WHO limits. Public transport, especially electric buses, emerges as a crucial lifeline for climate justice and mobility. the state of public transportation, however, is failing those most in need. Improving access to reliable buses is the key to improving the lives of those wiht the most challenging jobs. News Directory 3 provides critical updates on such matters.What innovative public transportation solutions are taking shape in Delhi and beyond? Discover what’s next for cleaner air and more equitable mobility.
Climate Justice Starts With a Bus Ride for Delhi’s Waste Pickers
Updated June 02, 2025
New Delhi faces a severe air pollution crisis, with concentrations of fine particulate matter regularly exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) safe limits by 30 times. Exposure to PM2.5, which can penetrate deep into the lungs, has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory illnesses.
The city’s poorest residents, already struggling with extreme heat and hazardous working conditions, are particularly vulnerable. Delhi’s public buses, their primary mode of transportation, are in disrepair, with over 100,000 breakdowns reported in the first nine months of 2024.
Globally, the transport sector accounts for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions. Road transport alone contributes 71% of that figure. India, the third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, released 2.69 billion tons of fossil CO2 in 2022, a 6.5% increase from the previous year.
Ecologist and environmental researcher sumana Narayanan believes public transport shoudl be a right, not a charity.She cited Delhi’s fare-free bus scheme for women, introduced in 2019, as a success. The program allowed women to save money, travel farther, and have more say in household decisions.
Other countries are exploring solutions. Germany’s €49 climate ticket makes low-emission travel affordable. Luxembourg offers free public transport to all citizens. bogotá’s transmilenio system connects informal workers to opportunities while reducing emissions, and paris is reducing car dependency with better metros and cycling infrastructure.
India’s National Electric Bus Program (NEBP) aims to deploy 50,000 electric buses by 2030, but implementation is slow. Nishant, Coordinator of the Public Transport Forum in Delhi, said current schemes frequently enough serve short-term electoral agendas.
He added that consistent investment in quality public buses is needed. Nishant said public transport is far more efficient than private vehicles and is both people- and climate-amiable.
“We treat public transport like charity—something to be handed down to the poor. but mobility isn’t a favor; it’s a right,just like access to water,health,and clean air,” Sumana Narayanan,ecologist and environmental researcher,said.
“Public transport doesn’t just move people—it carries dignity,opportunity,and the right to be part of public life,” she added.
“What we really need is consistent investment in the quality and coverage of public buses. Public transport is a great equalizer in any society. And in terms of emissions and energy use, it’s at least ten times more efficient than private vehicles. It’s not just people-friendly—it’s climate-friendly too,” Nishant, Coordinator of the Public transport forum in Delhi, said.
What’s next
For Delhi’s waste pickers and other vulnerable communities, reliable public transport is essential for safety and survival. Addressing climate justice in Delhi may begin with access to a functioning, inclusive bus system.