As Haryana goes to vote on Monday, 21 October 2019, I cannot help but wonder how many people while casting their vote will think of their children’s right to live in a clean environment and right to breathe fresh air as enshrined in the Constitution of India.
NCR Air Quality = Smoking 30 cigarettes a day
The National Capital Region is one of the most polluted areas in the world. The air that we all breathe is equal to smoking 30 cigarettes a day. Our lungs no longer look a healthy pink but have turned black with the toxic air we inhale all year through. Most of my friends suffer from breathing difficulties. What is our future growing up in NCR cities?
Aravalli forests in Gurgaon, Faridabad and south Haryana are our lifelines for pure air and water security. With the Aravallis gone, we will lose the barrier that has been protecting us from the dust storms coming in from the Thar desert and NCR will soon turn into a dust bowl. Our already toxic air will become unbreathable. Also, the Aravalli hills with their cracks and fissures are a very important source of recharging our rapidly depleting groundwater.
Aravallis = Pure Air + Water Security
Why is our government destroying the Aravallis? Why does construction have to happen in our forests? Forests are our sacred spaces, our nature connects – places where we heal and rejuvenate our tired souls and bodies. They cannot be constructed upon to meet the greed of a few real estate developers, landholders, etc.
I cannot vote this time, so, I urge all adults to think of our future while voting. Vote for a political party or candidate who will protect our Aravallis and work towards solving the water scarcity and air pollution problems affecting our sustenance in Gurgaon, Faridabad and the National Capital Region.
Join Aravalli Bachao citizens campaign at bit.ly/aravallibachao
Facebook group: bit.ly/AravalliFB
Instagram: bit.ly/AravalliInsta
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AravalliBachao
Author
Ragini Malhotra
Climate Action Gurugram
@ClimateActionGG
(The views expressed in the article are the author’s own. Let Me Breathe neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)
