Ranchi: Over 50 children from various schools of Jharkhand appealed for their ‘Right to Breathe’ through an open letter to the Jharkhand Chief Minister. School Students from various age groups took part in an open letter drive organized by NGOs working on Child Right along with SwitchON Foundation, according to a press release.
SwitchON Foundation along with School Students will be seeking an appointment with the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, requesting his immediate intervention amid the rising air pollution in eastern India and across the Indo-Gangetic plain.
Many children who wrote the letters had breathing difficulties and have been suffering from acute respiratory disorders, caused due to air pollution. Children also complained about people in their area being careless about using and burning plastic packets and other forms of garbage. Children through their letters also raised alarm on the increasing number of vehicles across cities.
Experts say children are more vulnerable to pollution because their lungs are underdeveloped and their immune systems are weaker. Organizations like Caritas India, Uddami India Foundation & Bal Kalyan Sangha were part of this drive on the Rights of Children to breathe Clean Air.
Vinay Jaju, MD, SwitchON Foundation said, “An entire generation of children are in jeopardy today, it is time to come together for our future generation and secure their right to healthy clean air. Every micro action can collectively create a macro impact.”
Campaigners and subject experts from different organizations working on the issue of Child Rights and Air Pollution also attended the event.