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88.4% Children in West Bengal consider Air Pollution a Threat
Children Walk for their Right to Breathe Clean Air During Child Rights Week
17 November 2023 , Kolkata West Bengal
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Concerned about the detrimental effects of air pollution on children and the associated rise in mortality rates and health issues especially during the winters, around 1500 children from four polluted cities viz. Kolkata, Durgapur, Bardhaman, Asansol took to the streets, advocating for their right to breathe clean air, in observance of Child Rights Week.
In Kolkata, around 300 children came together for the Walk for Clean Air. The starting point was PC Chandra Jewellers, Elgin Road Branch and the end point was Academy of Fine Arts. Schools from Kolkata like Techno India Public school, Baidyapara High School, Silver Point School, Asutosh College and many other govt. and private schools as well as organizations like SSDC, Sanchar, NOSK, CFAR, CINI, All Bengal, Seva Kendra were part of the Walk for Clean Air.
A flash survey was done by SwitchON Foundation on the Children and Youth perception of Air Quality in West Bengal. The survey was conducted among a total of 554 youth to assess their perceptions of air pollution. The study revealed that 88.4% of youths believe air pollution poses a significant threat to human health. It was found that 47.3% of youths consider vehicles as the primary contributor to air pollution, while 33.8% consider industries, followed by road dust, open waste and coal power plants. The study also revealed that 53% of male respondents and 52% of female respondents consider vehicular emissions as a significant concern for individuals aged 19 to 25, irrespective of gender. Among individuals aged 12 to 18, only females constitute a substantial proportion (6%) who identify bursting firecrackers as a primary cause of air pollution. This suggests a distinct gender-based trend in perception within this specific age group. The report shows that children under 12 years old consider landfills as the predominant source of air pollution which underscores the significance of waste disposal practices as a key concern.
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