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No, we don’t want to sensationalize what’s happening or spread panic. The only thing worth spreading is awareness and that’s precisely what we intend to do. I guess you guessed it wrong when you read the title … Blueline buses are definitely dangerous, but it’s the polluted air of Delhi that has turned out to be the biggest killer last year. The number of people who died last year due to respiratory diseases believed to be caused by air pollution and environmental reasons took a quantum leap over the 2005 figures. The occurrence of respiratory diseases among Delhiites has increased alarmingly and vehicular pollution is a major reason for this sharp increase. In fact, these incidents are 12 times higher than the national average and about 30% of Delhiites suffer from some kind of air pollution-related disease. The allergic symptoms that lead to respiratory diseases are visible among both adults and children alike. There was a brief period when the national capital patted itself on the back for having controlled air pollution-related deaths. The deaths related to respiratory diseases recorded in 2004 were the lowest in the recent past and the city thought that the air pollution puzzle had almost been cracked but the numbers have risen again. This news needs to be spread among humans only. Other living beings are already aware of the city’s pollution levels. The number of migratory birds arriving in Delhi has declined this year, and it is high time bird watchers realized that merely watching the birds is not going to suffice. Migratory birds, such as the Painted Stork and Coots among others, are no longer visible in the city’s bird sanctuaries, which draw the attention to the two main wildlife support systems of Delhi – the Yamuna and the Aravalli, both of which are undergoing continuous degradation. Young students are taken to these sanctuaries, with the hope that some day when they become the decision makers of the society, at least a tinge of green may return to these places.