How costly is the air you breathe ?

“All that I want is to breathe clean air “ ; majority of us will agree with me if I say that . Some things were best when they were free . But now, people have found ways to commercialize those things also . For example , I came across the concept of oxygen parlors .Interesting isn’t it ? I heard a Chennai based infrastructure developer has already come up with a 50 Crore rupees investment for a lifestyle complex which includes Oxygen parlor, foot reflexology and so on . Today you will consider this to be something which does not relate to common man .But what about tomorrow ?

Lets make an educated guess . With the pollution levels being high and the content of Sulphur dioxide , Ammonia and the Hydrogen sulphide levels in cities being high , you know that obviously , we are not going in the right direction . Tomorrow , you might as well see a company inviting franchisees for oxygen parlors all across the country with a huge sum as royalty and franchisee fees . I bet , with the current scenario the above said situation is imminent . We might end up paying 100 Rs to 200 Rs per hour to breathe clean air and come out refreshed (This is how we contribute towards inflation ) .If our house is filled with dust , there is a vacuum cleaner , but if our lungs are filled with dust , what do we have ?


If the above statement worries you , lets together think of a way out .It reminds me of an adage whose meaning many of us mugged up in school ; “ Prevention is better than cure “.Here, by cure, I try to relate to solution like an oxygen chamber .But preventing such a situation ,can work wonders . I agree that the cities are already polluted , but what best can we do to prevent polluting the air further ? The first and foremost thing that you and your children need to do is ,to plant trees . Second one is more difficult than the first . Use only public transport system ,unless there is a compulsion to use private vehicles .


The government should also take affirmative steps in the right direction . The cheapest car is about to strike the market . But do you think a 1000000 cheap cars will change the future of the middle class . People even go to the extent of depicting it as a common man’s dream . But I beg to differ . A common man’s dream is always an efficient public transport system and not a car . Make more people take public transport . First establish a clean metro rail system like the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Make public transport cheaper by reducing taxes .

Look for cleaner and greener energy generation . Prevent deforestation in your area . Make it mandatory to have a few plants in every garden , like in the West , at least in places where there is enough space to plant one . Use fallow land for growth of plants . Organize pollution control programs for housewives on how to control pollution caused by households . Implement a regulatory mechanism to monitor and control the emission in each municipality . Implement carbon offsetting measures within India . Promote the suburban culture like the one in developed countries . These are a few of the many things which we can do to avoid such a situation .


Hariharan V