This refers to the editorial, “Air most foul” (May 4). Delhi, Kanpur, Srinagar, Jaipur, Patna, lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Patiala, Jodhpur and Agra in the list means air pollution has impacted cities and towns in India cutting across their ranks. The pollution in Delhi, due to its susceptibility to air pollution, is stark because the national capital has air pollution monitors in place to measure air indices whereas the same cannot be said for other Indian cities. Data collected from more than 4,000 global cities distinctly points to the fact that there is a direct causal relationship between air pollutants and deadly diseases affecting human beings, including heart diseases and cancer, which otherwise could have been prevented.
The geography of north India with no blowing away factors for pollutants by air is attributed to more dust and pollution there. It is often said that air pollution is a price the citizens pay for availing the opulence of modernisation. What India needs is a firm focus on robust solar energy and wind energy consumption. Regulation of burgeoning industries and infrastructural constructions should be hastened. Traffic congestion and emissions have to be brought down by innovative methods. Roads have to be built scientifically to reduce vehicular jam. We require more greenery. Air issues cannot be handled by Governments alone; citizens’ pro-active participation cannot be stressed more. Strolling to work places at least thrice a week can work wonders for the health of individual as well as the air quality. Carpooling, or vehicular sharing, conserves time, cost and emission.