“Environmental pollution is an incurable disease. It can only be prevented.” – Barry Commoner

We see the air around us getting smoggy. We complain to one another when the city feels too polluted while we wait for the traffic jam to clear. We talk about global warming as we keep our air conditioners running through the day. And then, we wait for the city to heal itself. But it won’t.

WHO’s 2021 report for air quality levels indicated that Chennai’s air was five times above the permissible limit of polluted. This makes Chennai one of the most polluted cities in the country.

“The data shows that lockdown is not a solution to air pollution. We have to prioritize the immediate shift to clean energy and clean transport to stop more damage,” – Greenpeace official Avinash Chanchal.

We can’t do much, but we can do little. And in the long run, that’s going to make a difference. Avoid burning waste. Use the car lesser. Plant a tree.