Air :- A Necessity

Ask yourself why air is necessary with Nandini Sinha.

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When asked for the most essential thing needed to live, most of us immediately reply saying ‘air,’ but looking at the air quality index of New Delhi, one can easily be fooled that we actually don’t think of it as precious. Nowadays, air is like a dictator, or maybe even a strict parent - standing on our heads, deciding what we can and cannot do; and for how long. Our freedom is surely limited during the times in which air quality is at its worst. Delhi’s air condition is declining rapidly, which is not only affecting its people, but the other organisms that inhabit it too. Its citizens are bound to do something about this rising issue.

Clean air is already becoming a scarce resource in urban areas, and if actions are not taken sooner, we might not even remember the smell of clean air in a few decades. If not for our sake, we should care for air for our future generations - who now, may just be lucky to listen to stories about how joyous breathing clean air was, before it just fading into a distant myth as the years passed by. By having the power to instil fear in me, and its ability to impact our body in nearly every area after long-term exposure; air pollution is truly a daunting prospect. These days, I jump at the sound of my phone ringing, because I fear someone is calling to deliver me the news of one of my relatives or close friends getting diagnosed with a calamitous disease caused by air. Children are supposed to have carefree lives… or spend their time worrying about upcoming tests, not the health of their family!

It has reached a point in Delhi where people are advised to wear a mask when going outside, and to not step out of their houses in the early mornings or late evenings. Now, indoor air filters or air purification machines are also a necessity in the houses situated in the most polluted areas of the city. The air is now filled with detrimental gases like nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide which make me frightened of each breathe I take in a day. These harmful, polluting emissions from vehicles, factories, and burnt garbage affect a major chunk of our population, and strike them with health issues shortening their life span, causing them to die prematurely. I, for one, would like to watch my grandchildren grow up before dying, instead of bidding farewell before my children even reach the age of 18.

PM 2.5 - one of the most baleful pollutants is also found in the air we breathe now. These new pieces of information that I read about every day strike questions in me: Are we safe from pollution indoors, or is indoor pollution worse than outdoor pollution? Can intensive air pollution cause mutations in unborn children? If we continue to live like this, how many years do we have before we run out of natural clean air? Thinking back, living in a city with air pollution may actually have some advantages - it has given me the opportunity to know more about air pollution, and wholly appreciate oxygen for the valuable resource that it is.

Air is a need; not a want. We surely don’t want to live in a city that looks like a few hundred smoke bombs have been set off in. There is still time to improve the air we breathe. After all, improving the quality of air that we breathe in, is ultimately only taking care of ourselves, isn’t it? Nevertheless, clean air is essential for all organisms - now and in future generations.

Care for air, care for the future.

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Written By Nandini Sinha, Edited By Nandini Nalam