Urooj Niazi 
To millions of people who make their livelihoods in the streets, air pollution is not a far-out issue but a reality that they have to live with. The Karachi outdoor workers, in the form of vendors, traffic police, delivery riders, and construction workers, are exposed to a lot of time under dangerous smog, dust and vehicle emissions. As the quality of air regularly approaches hazardous levels, it is quite common to rely on resilience rather than cover.
A lot of them depend on informal methods of coping instead of formal protection. Frequent tea breaks, cloth masks and scarves are also the norm, despite being of little use in protecting against fine particulate matter. Respiratory sickness and eye irritation, as well as chronic fatigue, have also risen due to long-term exposure, but it is the financial need that leaves little to no time to take a step back.
Being Coping in a City That Barely Stops
Workers adapt in order to cope with the daily stress: they come to work earlier, sleep during rush hour, or switch workplaces to minimise exposure. Informal knowledge connections are also relevant, and the Karachi outdoor workers can consult each other regarding home remedies and places where it is less polluted. In the face of increasing health hazards, the Karachi outdoor workers keep serving the daily life in the city, mostly unrecognised, and breathing in such circumstances that many of the city dwellers rarely encounter. Visit for more details: https://thepakistan.pk/
