Pune’s ‘Warrior Moms’ launch movement demanding clean air

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<strong>Taking the fight against pollution forward, a Pune-based women’s group “Warrior Moms” has recently launched a campaign which aims to empower the Pune residents to demand cleaner air.</strong></p>
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Launched last year, this group claims to have members from several cities of the country, including Mumbai and Nagpur.</p>
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Talking about the group and its demand, Anuja Karthikeyan, who is one of the co-founders told Indian Express: “This is a nationwide network and we have prepared city-wise standard operating procedures (SOPs) so that residents are empowered to demand action for clean air. The goal is to strengthen the citizen-municipal corporation partnership.”</p>
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Elaborating about their initiative to empower Pune residents, she said:  ‘For Pune, we have written the SOP in both English and Marathi and released it in a small function. Residents of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have the option to report violations at any time from anywhere.”</p>
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Going further she added: “It is time we amplified our voices and demand our children’s right to breathe clean air. Everyone can be part of this campaign #RightToBreatheCleanAir. Authorities want to help but in the absence of proof, they miss the polluters.”</p>
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She said on finding that trees are being cut, people living in that area can ask whether permission has been taken from the authority. On seeing construction material, especially sand, being kept in any part of the street or road in a colony or burning of garbage in the open, people and citizens can post videos, photos, locations online and tag warrior moms on social media, added Karthikeyan.</p>
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Other founder members of the group besides Karthikeyan, are Hamsa Iyer, Vandana Choudhry, and Hema Chari.</p>
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As per the group’s website they have a presence in several States and Union Territories like Delhi-NCR, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.</p>