New Delhi: Thousands of protestors gathered in Gurgaon on Sunday morning and pledged to do their bit to reduce air pollution in the city. Men and women, children and adults gathered in large numbers after a week of the air quality index (AQI) being in the ‘severe’ category.
The protest was held in Leisure Valley Ground, Sector 29.
The organisers administered a mass pledge to all those in attendance, and people pledged not to burn garbage or leaves, travel by public transport and do whatever they can to ensure that the city they inhabit is a healthier living environment.
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The city received some respite on Saturday and Sunday, with the AQI in the 300s. While that is still far above acceptable limits and falls in the ‘very poor’ category, on Friday the city had witnessed ‘severe-plus’ AQI and a thick layer of smog.
During the protest, the organisers also lauded certain ‘air-pollution warriors’, who they said had stopped fires and gone out of their way to try and make the air quality less hazardous.
“The Millennium City generates maximum revenue for Haryana yet the citizens are forced to breathe the worst air in the state,” a woman demonstrator told the Times of India.
In Delhi too, protests have been organised over the last few weeks asking the government to take action and ensure that residents have access to breathable air.