January 24, 2016 Mumbai: Growel’s 101 Mall in Kandivali organised a unique initiative on Tuesday with a noble cause at its root – that of ‘saving the saviour’.
A team from the mall distributed anti-pollution masks to around 12 traffic personnel from the area as part of its drive to work towards mitigating air pollution and improving the health of those who toil for the safety of the public. As many as three masks each were given to 100 traffic personnel by a team from the mall to safeguard their health. Anti-pollution masks are widely considered the easiest way for individuals to protect themselves from not just dust but also contaminants present in the air.
The idea was a part of the mall’s exercise of working towards ‘saving the saviour.’ Explaining the initiative, Vikas Shetty, Mall Head, Growel’s 101 Mall said, “Traffic policemen are deployed on roads throughout the day due to which they are prone to respiratory and other problems caused by pollution. They are actually on the roads to save our life and make our journey easy. This was our way of ‘saving the saviour’ and contributing towards improving their health.”
Recently, even as pollution levels in the national capital touched their worst level, Mumbai too is hardly behind with pollution levels breaching the 'very poor' quality mark. Last week, the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 307 in Mumbai.
An AQI between 301 and 400 is considered 'very poor', which, according to SAFAR, means people with heart or lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart disease or ischemic heart disease should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.
Also, the ongoing infrastructural development construction work for the Metro 7 corridor has caused temporary traffic snarls on the Western Express Highway which is expected to remain until the work gets completed. Police personnel deployed on duty in the area are worst affected due to bumper-to-bumper traffic jams especially during the peak hours which adds to the already severe levels of pollution on the stretch.
Photo Caption: Save-the-Savior: Growels 101 mall, Kandivali gifts 300 anti-pollution masks to traffic police deployed on Western Express highway between Malad to Kandivali. This move is to support traffic police from western suburb in countering pollution due to vehicles congestion and construction activities on the highway.