“The price of a living”
Story of struggle
Every morning, the cobbler spreads out his tools beside the road, hoping to earn enough to feed his family.
Unlike most people, he cannot choose where to work.
His small spot is right next to a dirty, polluted river that carries garbage, sewage, and a constant foul smell.
While pedestrians pass by in a few seconds, he breathes the polluted air for ten to twelve hours every day. The stench from the river mixes with dust, smoke, and vehicle emissions, making the air even more harmful.
Customers often avoid stopping because of the unbearable smell, reducing the cobbler's income.
The polluted environment also causes headaches, coughing, eye irritation, and breathing problems, making it difficult for him to work for long hours. The same struggle is shared by many roadside vendors.
Fruit sellers, tea stalls, and street merchants spend their entire day exposed to polluted air and the foul-smelling river.
Their food and goods collect dust, customers stay away, and their health gradually worsens.
Yet they have little choice because moving elsewhere means losing their livelihood. This scene reminds us that air pollution does not affect everyone equally.
Those who work outdoors, like the cobbler and other roadside vendors, bear the heaviest burden.
Clean air is not just an environmental issue, it is a basic necessity for health, dignity, and the right to earn a living.
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