Episode 2- Awareness for Action with Pankaj Kumar, Oxygen Man of Delhi

In the highly polluted Indian capital that witnessed an alarming increase in air pollution recently, a young man wearing an oxygen mask and carrying a 20-liter plastic water bottle strapped to his back is an unusual attraction. The oxygen mask's transparent tube is looped and fitted to the bottleneck of the water jar. From outside one can see an artificial tree in full bloom and water inside the bottle. It appears as if the man is breathing oxygen from the bottle that otherwise is used by people in most Indian cities to carry purchased drinking water home. Standing in the middle of the busy road on a pavement in Noida - on the outskirts of Delhi - as honking vehicles move past, the young man holds a placard to the passersby."Plant tree. Save a tree. Otherwise, this will happen in future," reads a message in Hindi and English on the placard. Cars and other vehicles usually sped past him without looking. However, when the traffic lights at the nearby signal show red, those who stop close-by avidly look at his placard. Some smile, some make facial gestures and quite a lot move their heads to the other side ignoring him. The man in his late 20s is Mr. Pankaj Kumar from the eastern state of Bihar. For the past 2 years, Pankaj has embarked on a self-chosen mission to raise awareness among people in Delhi about the pollution and the importance of trees and a clean environment. Every day he straps the bottle to his back and wears the oxygen mask to roam around Noida, the emerging commercial hub bordering Delhi.

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