As winter sets in, almonds fill homes but in the narrow, industrial lanes of Karawal Nagar, dozens of women like Rekha spend long hours cracking and sorting those very dry fruits in dusty, airless rooms, earning barely 3 per kg.After a protest in 2024, wages rose slightly, but conditions didn’t. The air remains thick with ‘barooda’, and makeshift cloth masks offer little protection.
“We breathe this dust every day,” Rekha says. For others, like Manju Kumari, the grind continues through unpredictable shifts, sometimes starting at 2 am.
The godowns lack basic washrooms; most are unregis-tered, running quietly beneath homes. Employers cite falling business, while unions demand safety and dignity.
In these shadowed workshops, Delhi’s winter delicacy still depends on women who toil in dust and silence.
