Over 70 students from nine schools across Jharkhand took part in a competition on the theme of clean air to mark the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies observed on Thursday.

As part of the contest, participants had to upload paintings and videos on a dedicated website.

The winners, announced by SwitchON Foundation and ASAR Social Impact Advisors, will receive a token of appreciation that will be sent to their respective schools this month.

“We organised similar competitions in schools across Jharkhand, Bengal and Odisha which are aimed at encouraging students to think creatively and come up with innovative ways to communicate the message of clean air. Youth, children and citizens of Jharkhand also joined a unique virtual human chain by uploading a selfie image on a dedicated website or social media platform in solidarity with International Day of Clean Air along with over 800 citizens from across India,” said Gargi Maitra, outreach lead and new initiatives manager of SwitchON Foundation.

Schools in Ranchi, Deogarh, Dhanbad and Giridih took part in the competition.

“Through many interesting concepts and ideas the children came together to encourage action on climate. The students visually demonstrated the issue of air pollution, effect of air pollution on health, global warming, importance of trees etc. making the issue more relatable and impactful to a wider audience,” said Maitra.

“This gave the students a platform to be part of the solution. It encouraged them to research, understand, and communicate the issue of air pollution in a creative way. Students will be awarded based on creativity and concept,” said Vinay Jaju, managing director of SwitchON Foundation.

Air pollution is the biggest threat to the health of humans. We are encouraging students to be advocates for clean air at a young age so that they can instil a sense of responsibility and environmental stewardship bringing together families and communities for a sustainable lifestyle change, Jaju said.

In 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to designating September 7 as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

According to the United Nations, air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health and one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally, with some estimated 6.5 million premature deaths (2016) across the world attributed to indoor and outdoor air pollution.

Congress MP and convener of Parliamentarians’ Group for Clean Air, Gaurav Gogoi, had told the foundation that growing levels of air pollution needed our collective attention and there was an urgent need to tackle this issue as a cohesive force.

“As a country, we must constantly remind ourselves that air pollution is not just a winter problem; it exists all year, and it is now India’s most pressing challenge,” Gogoi said, adding that the most worrying aspect of air pollution is that it has an adverse impact on the health of our women, children, and elderly people.