Former US President Barack Obama is set to address a town hall in New Delhi on Friday, 1 December, where he will interact with nearly 300 young leaders drawn from various parts of the country.
Ahead of the meet, a Delhi resident urged the former US president Barack Obama to wear a face mask during the town hall.
Data scientist Amrit Sharma, who made the request in an open letter to Obama, said doing so would help generate awareness and catalyse action on air pollution.
Summarising his letter in a paragraph, Sharma wrote:
Air pollution is a public health emergency that kills nearly 7 million people every year. I believe that you should wear a face mask to protect yourself, and also take a photo with it to raise awareness while you are in New Delhi this week.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category for the seventh straight day today with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an AQI (air quality index) of 360.
Elaborating on the current “hazardous” air quality of the city, he went on to say:
We, the New Delhi residents, have been breathing “very unhealthy”, at times “hazardous”, air over the past couple months. Diplomats are fleeing the city. Flights are being cancelled. Trains are crashing. Schools are being shut down. Millions are dying every year. Millions more are suffering. It’s literally a “gas chamber.”
He asked Obama to seize the opportunity to raise awareness and “potentially save millions of lives”.
You are one the most photographed people of earth, but none of your photos yet could potentially save millions of lives in your lifetime. I believe that if you wear a face mask while you’re in Delhi and take a photo, that alone could have such an impact.
After his letter was retweeted and shared, Sharma was also invited to attend the interactive session with Obama in New Delhi.
(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT to find #PollutionKaSolution. Send in your suggestions to fit@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335)
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