We don’t believe things we don’t see with our naked eyes. Isn’t it? It is why most of us ignore or don’t discuss increasing air pollution in India. However, you will be surprised to know that air pollution took up 1.6 million lives in India in 2019. 

On the contrary, a few people have been active recently and are playing their role in decreasing air pollution.

Most of us don’t even realize that we are inhaling pollutants in India, which can degrade our health and lead to premature deaths. It might make you curious because until it’s too late, we don’t even know that with oxygen, we are inhaling air that can be poisonous. 

Now, the question is, who is responsible for this air pollution? And the answer is ALL OF US. We, you, and everyone in this world are adding to air pollution directly or indirectly. 

But what can be done? Is there even a solution?

Yes, there is indeed a solution. To begin with, we need to understand that the battle with air pollution involves two steps:

Prevention and

Cure.

In our other story blogs, we have educated people on how to keep themselves safe from air pollution around them. 

This one will tell a story about a family that played their best part in educating others about air pollution.

A small family of three people lived on the outskirts of Noida. They know that the polluted air around them is harmful and how it affects human health. Rakesh, a father and the head of the family, always educated her daughter, Parul, and wife, Nisha.

He ensured that they all avoided heavy traffic areas, wore a mask in traffic, closed car windows in areas with traffic or dust, and paid attention to their diet and lifestyle.

However, the family’s battle with air pollution didn’t stop at just keeping them safe from polluted air. It also involved an essential thing: reducing air pollution with their day-to-day behaviour.

If you have read other stories, you know how air pollution affects your lungs, eye, skin, reproductive health, and immunity and even causes premature death.

So, even if the air around you seems clean, it can be polluted, or even if it is clean, it can get polluted. It is when we, like Rakesh’s family, should understand that our day-to-day behavior can go a long way to reducing air pollution. 

 The family follows some measures to make small changes, making the air clean one day at a time. Let’s see what are these steps and how we can follow them, too.

1. Use Public Transport: Whenever possible, reduce car trips. It helps in less release of fuels and gas and also saves you money. Taking public transport on most days reduces overall emissions and reduces traffic. 

2. Avoid burning garbage and smoking: Burning wood, dry leaves, and waste releases poisonous gases. Moreover, smoking and affecting one’s health also degrade air quality.

3. Avoid using plastic bags, and focus on recycling and reuse: Plastic bags take a lot of time to decompose and aren’t good for our environment. The recycle and reuse concept helps conserve resources and also reduce pollution emissions.

4. Conserve energy everywhere: Electricity takes energy and causes air pollution. So, when not in use, switch off fans, lights, and other electrical equipment to save energy and reduce pollution.

5. If possible, use fans over ACs: AC emits heat that is not good for air quality. Compared to fans, AC also takes up a lot of energy which is again not good for our environment.

6. Use chimneys at home: Heat and smoke released during cooking and heating can degrade air quality inside your house. 

7. Avoid using crackers: Using crackers during the Diwali festival and weddings contributes to air pollution at high levels. Avoid them at all costs.

8. Plant more and more trees

9. While buying new electricals, look for the energy star label.

10. Be sure your tires are properly inflated, as flat tires consume more fuel and cause air pollution.

11. Turn off your engine whenever not needed.

“With such small steps, we can reduce air pollution around us. Such small actions go a long way in improving air quality,” says Rakesh.

The family now organizes camps, workshops, and events in different cities to spread awareness among people to follow these steps. They believe one day, when most people will understand the importance of reducing air pollution, we will see a gradual difference in air quality.