The Swaraj India party on Thursday expressed deep concern over the deadly air pollution levels in Delhi and staged a demonstration at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan here in its 'My Clean Delhi' campaign.
Party volunteers, wearing masks and carrying placards with awareness messages such as 'Awake Delhi, before its too late', formed a human chain in order to make an urgent appeal to Delhi residents to address the menace of air pollution.
According to Anupam, Chief Spokesperson of Swaraj India leading the demonstration, air pollution in Delhi has grown to alarming levels in the last few days which is a matter of deep concern.
Addressing the gathering at Jor Bagh, Anupam said: "Citizens of Delhi have been inhaling copious amounts of particulate matter (PM) -- both 2.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers -- composed of dust, dirt, smoke, chemicals, etc. which is a deadly combination. It enters the blood stream through the lungs and causes cancer."
Exposure to such particles can affect both our lungs and our heart. Numerous scientific studies have linked such particle exposure to a variety of health problems and fatalities, he added.
Anupam said PM 2.5 is about 30 times finer than a human hair. These particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and respiratory diseases, and are known to pose the greatest risk to human health.
"According to the World Health Organization (WHO), their measurement is considered to be the best indicator of the level of health risks from air pollution. But PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels in Delhi have now breached hazardous levels and pose a serious threat, especially to the lives of children and the aged," he said.
As per records, the national capital has beaten all other cities in the world in terms of deteriorating air quality, Anupam claimed.
"Swaraj India believes it is an emergency situation in the national capital and effective measures to curb extreme air pollution need to be immediately taken up with all government agencies, cutting across party lines, working in tandem with each other," he said.
--IANS
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