In a bid to spread awareness about alarming rise in air pollution in the Capital, teenagers from the city on Wednesday launched the second phase of a campaign called ‘Breathe Delhi’.
The brainchild of 17-year-old Aadya Singhania, the campaign saw students from various schools participate in the event on the occasion of World Sustainability Day.
Taking initiative
The first phase of the campaign was launched in April on the occasion of Earth Day.
The students stood at four major junctions — Moti Bagh, Chirag Delhi, Moolchand and ITO crossings — here.
They urged commuters to switch off their engines at red lights with a waiting period of over 15 seconds as idling engines produce up to twice the amount of exhaust emissions compared to an engine in motion.
Speaking about the campaign, Ms. Singhania said, “The Capital is among the top air-polluted cities across the globe. In a recent report by the World Health Organization, Delhi was ranked 11th among 3,000 cities in 103 countries. To combat alarming levels of pollution in the city, we became active on ground. I reached out to a number of schools to enlist volunteers among children like me who can influence their parents and others in a positive manner. After all it is our future that we are trying to protect.”
“Every individual has a responsibility towards environment. While we have been progressing as a human race, we have been doing it at the cost of the environment. It is time that we payback our long-standing debt to the environment,” said Ms. Singhania.
