Dia Mirza says clean air is a human right, not a privilege

Actress and environmentalist Dia Mirza marked the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies by highlighting the health risks of air pollution, its unequal impact on vulnerable communities and the need for cleaner energy, transport and stronger accountability.

Mumbai: Actress Dia Mirza is also an environmentalist and often uses social media to share her views on the various issues pertaining to the massive climate change. On Monday, Dia used Clean Air Day to remind all that air pollution is not only an environmental problem, but also a public health crisis.

Dia uploaded a video on her IG saying, “Think of a child running onto a football field, a teenager training for a race, children cycling, playing cricket, and simply being outdoors. Every time they run harder, they breathe deeper. In too many parts of our country, that means breathing polluted air into developing lungs and bodies.”

---

Dia revealed that back in 2021, air pollution resulted in around 2.1 million deaths in India. Not just that, more than 700,000 children under the age of five died due to polluted air across the globe.

She further went on to list the people who are worst affected by this declining air quality.

“But this burden is not shared equally. Communities living beside highways, landfills, construction sites, factories, and power plants face greater exposure. So do street vendors, traffic police, sanitation workers, and construction workers, people who work outdoors and cannot retreat indoors when the air becomes dangerous. They are on the front lines of polluted earth.”

Dia said that in working towards cleaner air, we also work towards a better environment.

“Cleaner energy, reliable, affordable public transport, cleaner industries, no open waste burning, better construction practices, more walking, cycling, and green open spaces. Strong air quality monitoring and accountability when standards are violated,” she continued.

Dia reiterated that clear air should not be seen as a privilege but as a human right.

“This International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, let us remember every child deserves to run, play, learn, and grow without their next breath causing harm. Clean air is a high return investment. Clean air is climate action. Clean air is public health. Clean air is a human right”, the actress concluded.