In just 10 days, lungs installed inKharghargo‘B lack’
The experiment of placing faux lungs was conducted to create awareness about area’s air pollution
In a matter of just 10 days, the giant pair of faux lungs installed at a busy junction of Kharghar on January 15 have turned dark black from chalk white. The lung billboard is a part of the campaign initiated by the Waatavaran Foundation to raise awareness about the health impacts of increasing air pollution in the Kharghar- Taloja-Panvel belt. A similar pair of lungs installed at one installed in Delhi (November 2018) just took 6 days to go black. Experts, as well as local residents from Kharghar, have asked the Maharashtra Government to consider this ‘experiment’ as a warning bell and take strong measures to improve the air quality in this area.
Titled- ‘The Billboard that Breathes’ these ‘artificial’ lungs was put up near the Bank of India Chowk at Sector 7. Kharghar. According to Bhagwan Kesbhat, Founder of Waatavaran, the colour has changed due to high levels of particulate matter which is a clear indicator of the high levels of ambient air pollution.
“These faux lungs began rapidly changing its colour from the second day itself and turned dark grey in seven days, however on Monday, January 25 we saw that these had completely turned black,” said Kesbhat stating that this is one of the best possible ways to demonstrate to local residents of Kharghar what happens when they inhale the polluted air.