Ggm protests govt ‘inaction’ on toxic air

GURUGRAM: Armed with placards, banners, and anti-pollution masks, over a thousand people got together Sunday morning at the Leisure Valley Ground in Sector 29 to voice their concerns about the deteriorating air quality in the city.

Amid chants of “mujhe jeene do (let me live)”, scores of school children, parents, corporate workers, doctors, activists, and senior citizens highlighted the adverse impact of pollution and sought concrete action from the government.

Citizens said that pollution could no longer be ignored and the time to act against it was now, more so since the government was not doing enough. “The Air Quality Index (AQI) value of the city remains high throughout the year. Yet, no concrete steps are taken by the government to tackle pollution. We are facing a health emergency, but the government seems unmoved since we are not seen as vote banks by those in power,” Ruchika Sethi, founder of an environment and sustainability advocacy group, said.

Expressing their commitment towards tackling the pollution crisis, the protestors took a pledge against the burning of waste and promised to plant more trees.

DISSATISFACTION

AND ANGER

Between 10.30am and 1pm, more people kept trickling in. From street vendors association to corporates, to children from government and private schools, the protest saw the participation of people from diverse sections of the society. Anger, frustration, and dissatisfaction with the government were palpable.

Rupali Aggarwal, 41, who came to the protest with her 13-year-old son Amish Gupta, said that residents of the city were being forced to give an additional ‘lung tax’. “We are taxpaying citizens but are not guaranteed clean breathable air by the government. Our lungs are being choked, the additional cost that we pay for living in Delhincr,” Aggarwal said. She said that the government was taking the easy way out by blaming stubble burning.