New Delhi: For Meera Yadav, a construction worker from MP who lives in Sangam Vihar, the latest curbs on construction activities in Delhi have brought back an uncertainty she faced last winter.With six children — four daughters and two sons — to feed, the loss of daily wages has left her worried about how her family of eight will survive until construction work resumes. Meera earns Rs 500 a day working at construction sites and her husband between Rs 500 and Rs 700, depending on availability of work.Their situation reflects the predicament of thousands of daily-wage construction workers across Delhi, for whom pollution-control measures every winter mean more than a temporary halt in work. It means uncertainty over the next meal, mounting debts and no clarity on how long they will have to manage without their regular earnings.Every morning, workers like this couple gather at ‘labour chowks’ across the capital, hoping that contractors will pick them up for a day’s work. Depending on the nature of the job, they earn between Rs 500 and Rs 700. For most, this is their only source of livelihood.“What can you save when you earn so little? You have to spend on food, rent, clothes and other necessities. Whenever construction work is halted, we have to borrow money, take an advance or depend on contractors and others for food and necessities. We repay them once work resumes,” said Dheeraj, a construction worker.Rashtriya Mazdoor Sangathan, which claims over 8,000 workers are associated with it, said the recurring construction bans leave labourers struggling to meet even their basic needs. “We can only look at each other’s faces because everyone is facing the same situation. These workers must earn every day to feed their families. When work stops, their entire livelihood comes to a standstill,” said union president Mohammad Minhaj.Many of them hail from Bihar, UP and Nepal. While some return home during these restrictions, others stay back in Delhi in the hope that work will resume soon. In the process, they exhaust whatever little money they earlier managed to save.This financial uncertainty is compounded by an unresolved issue: pending compensation from previous restrictions on construction activities. Union representatives said several workers with valid labour cards have yet to receive the assistance promised under Supreme Court’s directions.According to the union, its members have repeatedly written to and met the labour minister and labour commissioner over the plight of the workers and sought the release of the pending assistance.In a representation to the commissioner, the union cited SC’s Nov 25, 2024, order in the MC Mehta vs Union of India case and demanded eligible workers affected by GRAP-III and GRAP-IV restrictions between Nov 2025 and Jan 2026 receive their promised assistance. The union pointed out that the labourers were hit hard during multiple periods: Nov 11-26, Dec 13-Jan 2, Jan 16-22 under GRAP-III; and Dec 13-24 and Jan 17-20 under GRAP-IV.The union also sought necessary action through Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to verify those affected and release the pending aid. It added that it had submitted a list of workers whose claims were yet to be processed.With another round of restrictions kicking in — demolition and outdoor construction activities that generate dust are banned from Nov 1 to Jan 31, except for essential public infrastructure projects — the union fears that the workers who are still waiting for their dues will again be left without regular income or adequate financial support.No response was received from Delhi’s environment department till the time of filing this report.
