Last year, according to Swiss company IQAir, it had the world’s worst air quality. Here, fumes from factories, exhaust from traffic and dust from construction produce a toxic mix that makes breathing an act of endurance for its 700,000 residents. “Forget coughing, even breathing is difficult here,” said Manoj Kumar, 45, an e-rickshaw driver, who has lived in Loni his whole life.
Resident Mohammad Mohmin Khan said the pollution is so inescapable that he wears a mask every time he steps onto the city’s poorly paved roads. “It’s here 24 hours a day,” he said. “No matter where you go.”