The most polluted city in the world, Delhi, has just seven days of “Healthy” air over seven hundred and thirty consecutive days. The reputation and image of India is stained due to the never-ceasing pollution in it’s capital city, Delhi. The country’s capital is a home to many mesmerizing tourist attractions such as Qutub Minar, Himanyu’s tomb, the Red fort, India Gate and not to mention the Parliament (Rashtrapati Bhawan). When the city is suffocated with 10,000 premature deaths yearly, 4.4 MILLION children suffering from lung damage annually, Indians themselves wouldn’t take the risk of going to Delhi and allowing the respiratory diseases attack them, let alone tourists! Air that people breathe there, is four times more toxic than the safety limits! So much for a population of 9.879 MILLION!!
Pollution stems from industries giving out hazardous clouds of smoke, road dust, air conditioning devices, and the vehicles consuming tonnes of petrol and diesel everyday.
Now you might wonder, what role has #MissionBreathePure has got to play in this?
#MissionBreathePure is a campaign initiated on Twitter by Kent ROS Systems to warn the people against the deathly menance of air pollution in Delhi. The hashtag #MissionBreathePure has caught speed and now it is trending on Twitter. Hats off to Kent ROS System for igniting this pollution free online fire!
Delhi’s AAP Cabinet has also come up with an innovative drive named as the “Odd-Even Formula” which has created quite a buzz on the social media.
Odd-Even Vehicle rule! What’s that?
Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, announced that public vehicles will be allowed to run across the city based on their registration numbers. If a registration number ends with an odd digit, it will be allowed to run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On the contrary, if the registration number ends with an even digit, it will be allowed to hit the roads on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. With the exception of Sundays, when people go out for movies and picnics, the Odd-Even Formula is applicable to all the private vehicles, including those belonging to people from the upper echelons. Emergency vehicles and public transport are let loose from this rule. Bike owners are exempted from this rule, too. The rule begins from the start of the new year, that is, January 1, 2016. Addressing the criticism of the masses, Kejriwal announced that the rule will be tested for fifteen days and if it continues to discomfort the citizens, it will be dumped.
Delhi has become a living “gas chamber” for it’s citizens. Necessary measures should be taken before it is too late. What can be done?
Some steps that can be taken by the citizens are:
- Using unleaded petrol
- Using public transport, walking or cycling and encouraging others to do so.
- Using fuels which has low sulphur content.
- Planting trees alongside the roads and houses.
- Reducing the number of trips you take in your car.
- Eliminating fireplace and wood stove use.
- Avoiding burning leaves, trash, and other materials.
- Avoiding use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.
Now is the time to act. Now is the time to spread the awareness. Now, we must act responsibly. Support #MissionBreathePure.
