Clean air is a rare commodity. Go anywhere dust, smog and stench from the garbage and open sewers welcomes you. It looks all the cleanliness drive conducted during the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the pre-Darbar Move look all in vain. Parking and traffic snarls have become more and common. The garbage and the smouldering waste leaves the heavily polluted smoke suspended in the atmosphere to give a repulsive and acidic feeling during the winter months as compared to summer. Though it is unlawful to burn waste and dry leaves in the open but the practice continues without any check. The quality of air in Jammu is the worst at any time of the day and night. Some relief is when there is a Bandh or Chakka jam when most of the commercial vehicles are off the road and traffic remains at low level. The National Green Tribunal had identified open burning of waste as one of the factors for the increase in air pollution. The Jammu Municipality and the Pollution Control Board should come out with measures to check such wanton degradation of the environment. Even in this endeavour people’s participation should be encouraged so that the rare commodity of pollution-free air is available for the residents. The increase in air pollution has given rise to number of diseases especially among the infants like bronchitis, asthma, allergies of skin, etc. Most of the children have one or the other lung infection with persistent and consistent cough. It is not that the crisis cannot be managed but stringent steps are needed at every stage. There is an urgent need to improve the air quality for the coming generation. Cutting down of emission from all sources is the most important and urgent need is to make available clean air for the next generation.
