Any substance that affects the quality of air in a negative manner is considered to be an air pollutant. In recent years decreasing air quality has become a major cause for concern in many of the major cities across the globe. Many cities in India alone like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata are in the top list of most polluted cities across the world.
As per a WHO survey, in Delhi alone, around 2 million people are said to die each year due to air pollution-related diseases.
What is it that we can do to tackle this situation? How can we make our cities a cleaner place to live?
Well, there are many effective ways in which we can handle this situation and below mentioned are some points which can get us started:
- Using Public Transportation: One of the most effective ways to reduce air pollution is by using public transportation for your daily transit. Not only is it a better choice to improve a city’s air index but also cost-effective as you don’t incur any fuel charges. By using public transport, you reduce the number of vehicles that run each day which in turn reduces smoke, etc. which helps maintain cleaner air. This was clearly noticed during the lockdown when the number of vehicles running was less and the air quality drastically improved.
- Using electronic vehicles is another way of reducing air pollution. Electronic vehicles do not emit smoke and other harmful gases which can cause air pollution. Though initially, an electronic vehicle may seem costly in the long run it’s proven to efficient as it does not require fuel for which prices keep skyrocketing over a period of time. It is also easier to maintain electronic vehicles compared to a vehicle running on petrol or diesel engines. Many car makers have now turned their focus on to this field so as to promote a brighter and greener future.
- There are many other ways as well, such as manufacturing companies treating polluted gas before letting it out into the air, reducing the usage of items like deodorants which contain harmful gases, and so on.
Recently on 7 September 2020, the world celebrated its first International day of clean air for blue skies keeping in mind how important clean air is for us human beings. It aimed to spread awareness at all levels so as to tackle air pollution. It’s just like how the old saying goes “Charity begins at home”.
Unless we don’t decide to change right from our own daily routines, we can’t expect the rest of the world to follow. We need to be the guiding light that shines brightly so that others can follow.
Image credit: climatekids.nasa.gov
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