Clean Air Initiative

The air quality mapping initiative is anchored by Jharkhand based organisation Deshaj Abhikram. It has trained women (called Paryavaran Sakhis) in mapping air pollution in their neighbourhoods. Women were first trained to use portable air quality monitors. With this, they mapped the pollution levels in their panchayats for nearly two months. Now, the women are now in the process of speaking to community members in order to understand the link between pollution-ridden areas and the health and well-being of residents living in their vicinity. The exercise aims to build local women's leadership in climate change. Jharkhand emerged as India’s eighth most polluted state according to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) annual report released in June 2022. Through these women, Deshaj Abhikram is working to create awareness, build a dialogue and encourage action to address the issue. 10 women paryavaran sakhis are engaged in the exercise. Most women come from ordinary households with some experience of working with their own communities. They are passionate about making the lives of their communities better and are thus happy to work as paryavaran sakhis in their neighbourhoods. Through the community interactions, women have reached out to nearly 1,500 people on the issue of air pollution in their neighbourhoods.