World Environment Day 2019 Anthem Is Out And It Says ‘Hawa Aane De’ To #BeatAirPollution

New Delhi: “Thodi hawa aane de, taazi hawa aane de” (Let some air come, let the fresh air come), read the lyrics of the ‘Hawa Aane De’ anthem launched by Secretary Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), C.K. Mishra on Wednesday (May 29) at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, ahead of the 46th World Environment Day. The ministry in collaboration with Bhamla Foundation, a Mumbai based non-governmental organisation (NGO), has produced the anthem to spread awareness about the problem of air pollution.

Also Read: World Environment Day: Noida Gears Up To Celebrate June 5 By Distributing Eco-Friendly Plants

The anthem which is in line with the theme of the World Environment Day 2019 – Beat Air pollution, acts as a call to action for people to come together to combat the problem of poor air quality. The song urges people to be part of the solution and not add to the pollution. It offers solution for clean and green travel which broadly includes switching to public transport, car pooling, and turning off the engine at a traffic signal. It also asks people to put a full stop on the burning of stubble and waste, and support eco-friendly industrialisation. The anthem further highlights how we don’t value the things we get easily or for free like air.

Also Read: Single Use Plastics Ko Na Na Na Na: Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Launches ‘Plastic Waste Free India’ Anthem

For the anthem, actors Akshay Kumar, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, comedian Kapil Sharma, choreographer Shiamak Davar, singers Shaan, Shankar Mahadevan and Sunidhi Chauhan came together.

Talking about the reason behind spreading the message of combating air pollution through song, Asif Bhamla, President, Bhamla Foundation, says,

Music has the power to inform, educate and unite people. We are grateful to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for their support to the campaign and thankful that the entire industry came together to support a cause as vital as this. Important messages need to be delivered to a wider audience.

Akshay Kumar, who features in the music video said,

If not tackled, air pollution will have a devastating effect on our country and the world. It is our responsibility to work towards reducing air pollution and leave a cleaner and greener world behind for our children.

Also Read: Tik Tik, Plastic Tik Na Paye: Bollywood Voices Come Together, Lends Support To Beat Plastic Pollution Campaign With A Peppy Song

Watch Hawa Aane De Anthem

Why We Need To Take An Action Against Air Pollution?

According to the State of Global Air report 2019, air pollution was the fifth highest mortality risk factor globally and was associated with about 4.9 million deaths and 147 million years of healthy life lost in 2017. In India, an estimated 846 million which is 60 per cent of the population were exposed to household air pollution and recorded the highest number of deaths that is 482,000 in 2017. Air pollution is now as dangerous for health as smoking. Worldwide life expectancy was reduced by a year and 8 months on an average due to air pollution, a loss that ranks just below that related to smoking.

Also Read: 1.2 Million Deaths In India In 2017, Courtesy Air Pollution

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.