Mohit Chauhan in talks to set up an oxygen plant in the Capital

TWe don't know for how long this pandemic will last, but we need to be prepared for the future. I'm trying to do what I can, to help India fight this.

MOHIT CHAUHAN, Singer

he loss of loved ones, SOS messages for oxygen, trouble in finding a bed — the Covid-19 second wave did bring the Capital to its knees. And it was the death of an aide that inspired singer Mohit Chauhan to start a campaign to provide oxygen concentrators and other basics, especially to frontline workers.

“We had a civil contractor, Bajrangi Maurya, who had been working with us for two years. During the second wave, he developed breathing issues after testing Covid positive. With the help of Delhi Police, we managed to get him oxygen and a bed. But that hospital ran out of oxygen; while we were searching for another bed, he passed away. The fact that he couldn’t get help in time lingered in my head,” says Chauhan, adding, “So I started Project Bajrangi to raise funds and get essentials like oxygen concentrator, for the needy.”

For the campaign, Chauhan has partnered with Delhi Police and a few NGOs to distribute necessities, including the first batch of 5,000 N95 masks for frontline workers. The singer adds, “We don’t know for how long this pandemic will last, but we need to be prepared for the future. Under this project, we are in talks with the authorities to set up an oxygen plant in Delhi. We’re also trying to build a hospital that’ll cater to the frontline workers.”

Chauhan has been quite active on social media, amplifying SOS messages of the needy. “I’m trying to do what I can, to help India fight the pandemic,” says the musician, who along with his wife Prarthana, has been feeding over 150 stray dogs in Delhi, since the first lockdown in March 2020 and has set up a trust for animal welfare. “We’re not only feeding strays, but also getting them vaccinated and sterilised. We plan to continue working for their welfare as the second wave has brought up more cases of pet abandonment,” he says.

Amid grief and despair, the singer uses music as his meditation, while also working on his new album.

“But, I believe unless we find peace and ease, we won’t enjoy anything. So, that is my focus for now,” he concludes.