Delhi: Drive to curb air pollution by kids gives message on ‘no idling’

Under the ‘no idling’ campaign, which is a part of the mandate of B.E.S.T. (Breathe Easy Stay Tough) Club school initiative of Lung Care Foundation, school students braved Delhi’s cold weather and came out on Wednesday morning to give anti-air pollution message to the parents and other vehicle commuters, to stop idling when the car is halting for more than 10 seconds. 

They formed a human chain and stationed outside the pick-up and drop points of the schools giving out key messages to the parents, drivers, and others to engage in the responsible use of private vehicles.

According to a study by IIT Kanpur in 2016, Vehicular emissions contribute to 9 per cent of PM 10 and 20 percent of the total PM 2.5 load in the city. Readings taken from Atmos Air Quality Monitors, suggest that PM 2.5 values spike up to 40 percent more than the average PM levels inside the school area at the pick-up and drop timings.

“The duration of idling varies between 10-20 minutes, while waiting to pick up the children from school or stuck in the traffic jam outside school at the time of school dispersal, thereby, exposing children to high levels of pollution right outside the school and in transit,” said Abhishek Kumar, CEO, Lung Care Foundation of India.

Studies by the World Health Organization have revealed that, globally, 93 per cent of all children live in environments with air pollution levels above the WHO guidelines. 

Ambient Air Pollution and Household Air Pollution contributed to respiratory tract infections that resulted in 543 000 deaths in children under 5 years in 2016.

“Vehicular emissions contribute significantly to the deteriorating Air Quality of Delhi NCR. When there is excessive vehicular movement and idling around schools, the toxic fumes cross the school boundary and affect the children studying inside the classroom or children playing inside the school ground. 

The young developing lungs and bodies of children can be permanently damaged by exposure to the sudden spikes of pollution around the school,” said Dr Neeraj Jain, Chairman, Department of Chest Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Member Doctors for Clean Air Initiative.

POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF EMISSION

According to a study by Indian Institute of Technology  Kanpur in 2016, Vehicular emissions contribute to 9 per cent of PM 10 and 20 per cent of the total PM 2.5 load in the national capital region 

Readings taken from Atmos Air Quality Monitors, suggest that PM 2.5 values spike up to 40 percent more than the average PM levels inside the school area at the pick-up and drop timings