NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged citizens across the country to share their personal stories on how air pollution is affecting their health and the well-being of their loved ones through a portal titled ‘Awaaz Bharat Ki’.
‘Awaaz Bharat Ki’ is an initiative launched by Rahul Gandhi to offer a direct platform for people to convey their thoughts, suggestions and concerns to his office, according to details available on its official website.
In a post on X, Gandhi highlighted the human and economic cost of worsening air quality, saying, “We are paying a heavy price for air pollution with our health and with our economy. Crores of ordinary Indians bear this burden every day.”
Underlining the urgency of addressing the issue, he said that the most vulnerable sections of society are suffering the worst consequences.
“Children and the elderly suffer the most. Livelihoods, especially of construction workers and daily wage earners, are severely impacted. This crisis cannot be forgotten until next winter. The first step towards change is to raise our voices,” Gandhi said.
Calling on people to participate, he added, “Share your story of how air pollution has affected you or your loved ones at Awaaz Bharat Ki. Your voice matters, and it is my duty to raise it.”
The appeal comes at a time when New Delhi and several surrounding cities have been grappling with severe pollution levels over the past few months, leading to serious respiratory and other health-related problems among residents.
Dense smog and persistently high pollution levels have made it increasingly difficult for people, particularly children and the elderly, to step outdoors.
Over the past few months, schools in the national capital have also been forced to shift to online classes on multiple occasions due to the Air Quality Index plunging into the ‘severe’ category.
In December last year, residents of Delhi staged protests against rising pollution levels and demanded a concrete action plan to tackle the crisis.
More than a hundred protesters, including students, activists and concerned citizens, gathered at Jantar Mantar, urging both the State and Central governments to take immediate steps to curb deteriorating air quality in the national capital.
The Congress party, during the Winter Session of Parliament last year, repeatedly raised the issue of air pollution in both Houses. The party leaders also held protests, carrying placards and demanding accountability from the ruling dispensation over the worsening environmental and public health situation.