Music video traces effects of air pollution on N Chennai children

Directed by Rathnidran R Prasad, who has formerly directed Kodaikanal Won’t and Chennai Poromboke Padal, the video follows a kabaddi coach from North Chennai, who rues that the air quality was affecting his team’s stamina. Shot in Ennore, the video features rapper Sofia Ashraf and musician G Logan.

“Children are particularly susceptible to air pollution. It can cause allergies, asthma and wheezing. Their quantitative life span can also be decreased. Pregnant women are also at risk due to air pollution,” said Dr Rex Sargunam, former director of the Institute of Child Health, calling for the construction of more open spaces like playgrounds and green parks in each zone.

Children from Tiruvottiyur spoke on the dust and smoke caused due to factories and vehicles and how it affected their daily life. Late last year, areas in Manali recorded higher levels of air pollution than Delhi.

Commenting on her musical style, Ashraf said she played around with coughing to add to the breathless effect of the music. “I used to brag that the air pollution in Chennai is better than that of Delhi and Bombay. When I met with the team from Save Ennore Creek, they showed the facts and figures that stated otherwise. Only then did I realise that Chennai is just as bad. I began to notice the number of times I coughed in a day — that’s your body telling you that something is not okay,” she said.

D Charles Vinoth, who launched the video along with Dr Sargunam, called for the community to come together to fight air pollution. “We need to be aware of the environmental crimes we are all committing. Eight villages are made to suffer while we can sit at home in the air conditioning, watching Netflix. We need to be more conscious of what we are doing,” said Prasad.