Students appeal for their ‘Right to Breathe’ through an open letter to CM
2 min readKolkata: 300 children from West Bengal from various schools appealed for their ‘Right to Breathe’ through an open letter addressing it to the Chief Minister, says a press release.
School Students from various age groups of West Bengal took part in an open letter drive organized by NGOs working on Child Right along with SwitchON Foundation.
The drive is a part of an effort to bring attention to the apocalyptic future our children would have to inherit where there is no fresh air to breathe, due to rising air pollution.
SwitchON Foundation along with School Students will be seeking an appointment with the Chief Minister, requesting her immediate intervention amid the rising air pollution in eastern India and across the Indo-gangetic plain.
Many children who wrote the letters to her had breathing difficulties and have been suffering from acute respiratory disorders, caused due to air pollution. Children also complained about people in their locality 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.
Over the years experts have been saying that children are more vulnerable to pollution because their lungs are underdeveloped and their immune systems are weaker.
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.”
Organizations like Caritas India, Uddami India Foundation & Bal Kalyan Sangha were part of this drive. Campaigners and subject experts from different organizations working on the issue of Child Rights and Air Pollution also attended the event.