Experts from the Indian Medical Association, Delhi Medical Association and doctors from a private hospital gathered Tuesday on the eve of World Environment Day to raise awareness about air pollution and its impact on health.

The event was in line with this year's theme of 'Beat Air Pollution' and a call to action for all citizens to combat this global crisis at an individual level as well.

Experts highlighted how much each individual on average contributes to air pollution and ways to reduce air pollution with collective efforts of the society.

Dr Girish Tyagi, president, Delhi Medical Association said, "Burning waste in the open is one of the factors for increasing pollution levels. Organic waste in landfills release harmful dioxins, methane and black carbon into the atmosphere."

The event was held by Apollo Hospitals in collaboration with the IMA.

"Understanding the different types of pollution and how hazardous it is to our health and environment will help us to take steps towards improving the air quality around us.

"Often we can't even see it, but air pollution is around us everywhere. We can't stop breathing, but we certainly can take small initiatives at our end to improve air quality," said Dr Anil Goyal, Convenor, World Environment Day, IMA.

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