On Monday, May 2, 2016, a group of doctors took to the streets with an intention to increase awareness about the harm done by air pollution.On this occasion a CNG bus called Clean Air Express has been launched . The bus travelled throughout Gurgaon to different places on Monday as well as Tuesday to mark World Asthma Day on May 3, 2016. These places have been given below.
• Huda City Centre Metro Station
• IFFCO Chowk
• Rajiv Chowk
• Sector 56
• Sushant Lok I
• Sikanderpur
• Udyog Vihar
• Palam Vihar
Around 20 volunteers including a team of street-play artists educated the citizens of Gurgaon about the rising pollution levels in the city.
According to doctors in Gurgaon, approximately 30 per cent of families living in the city have no less than one individual having fallen prey to Asthma or other respiratory diseases. They also said that the odd-even scheme has got people to talk about pollution; however, there is still a need for spreading awareness about pollution. A city based pulmonologist reportedly said that small gestures are central to controlling pollution levels. Examples of these gestures include turning off the engine while stopping at a traffic signal and avoiding the burning of waste.
The initiative is part of a campaign called Clean Air India Movement (CLAIM) which as per the acclaimed pulmonologists has been to be extremely useful in spreading awareness about pollution. CLAIM is a pan-Indian movement to spread awareness about air pollution. It originated in Gurgaon and now encompasses many cities of the country, for example, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. It is spearheaded by Blueair India Head, Mr. Vijay Kannan, who believes that CLAIM will make people aware of the importance of those simple changes in their lifestyle that can contribute in lowering pollution.
