Gurugram’s air turns toxic after New Year’s bash

GURUGRAM: While lakhs of vehicle descended upon the streets of Gurugram to celebrate the last day of 2017, there were also some who sacrificed their New Year bash.

As the air of Gurugram again turned poisonous with high levels of PM 2.5, most of the parents instead of venturing outside decided to celebrate it in their own residential communities.

One of the biggest victims of pollution has been young children.

For long medical experts have cited that exposure to such poisonous levels of air can impair the lungs of young children.

The levels of air quality in Gurugram deteriorated to severe levels, with the particulate matter below 2.5 microns reaching to 400 micrograms per cubic metre, six times above the safe limit of 60 as prescribed by World Health Organisation.

Most of the parents rather than staying in the city went outside for their New Year vacations.

For those however who had to stay in Gurugram decided to rather celebrate the event with less frills.

“At a time when the air levels of Gurugram have reached such deadly levels, we cannot risk long exposure of this poisonous to our young children,” said Pooja Rao, a resident of Gurugram.

“Even though the move has not been appreciated by my 8-year-old son who does not understand the implications for breathing this deadly air, we have decided to celebrate the new year’s within the community than go outside,” Raa further said.

Construction materials, roadside dust and high vehicular traffic are the major contributing factors of air pollution in the city.

Owing to the unhealthy air levels many of the resident societies have begun a campaign to urge government to take radical measures to curb the toxicity in city’s air.

There has been large participation of children in these events.