Suffocating For Power: How Pollution Is Stealing Our Air.

The air around here is never fair, its always thick, noisy and suffocating, that’s the reality here. I can’t even lie, pollution here in my area has gotten way out of hand. It sound somehow, how something as simple as breathing has turned into a risky activity. And, what caused it is the one thing almost everyone here depends on....generators.

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Lets paint a picture, there are different rows of houses, shops and even small kiosks, each has its own generator, some of the shops has diesel using grounding machines and all, now most, if not all are on, all working and spewing out there own different black, choking smoke. Sometimes, it gets so messy and choking, that you think, they are competing on who's engine make the loudest noise, or whose engine make the thickest smoke, all bcause electricity is almost non-existent, it do show up like thrice in a month, and non of it lasted 4 hours, even the thrice is not guaranteed, this days it comes everyday, but non if it has lasted 30minute, so nobody even rise up to cook, iron, off their generator or whatever, cause we all know its just a matter of minutes, it will soon go. So, with that, people have no choice than to on their generators or sit in darkness and heat. And the problem is not just the noise, but also the thick air, filled with smoke.

Its affecting everyone, including those who on it, whether they admit it or not. My chest feels tight atimes, and I can't but wonder how thses little childrens feels too, how much of this toxic are we really breathing in, to what extent has it affected our health. The smell alone is enough to give one a headache long after the generator has been switched off. But even the noise that wouldn't let you sleep in peace or dream well, it makes sleeping soundly impossible.

Well, there have been various measures that has been taken, different meetings done to find a solution to it, talk with governments and all has proved to be fake promises, also theres the talk of alternative energy sources, solar, inverters and all, but those things are expensive. An average person can’t afford to set up a solar system. Everything had been done, its not working, it seems like using tissue paper to mend a leaking roof, it won't help.

And about how I have been coping, it hasn't been easy, we now have a solar of ours, though theres limit to what it can power, still it has been helping a lot, also we can't talk down on those who on generators because that is where some make their money from, seeking cold things and using it to power some other business, and those that also own it personally, we can't ask them not to, that is where I charge and do stuffs before we own a solar too. So, I’m just surviving. I’ve learned to keep my windows shut more often than I’d like, even when the heat is unbearable. I cover my nose with nose masks most of the time, it’s frustrating how we try escaping the very air we breathe.

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And, I doubt if it will stop anytime soon, not until we fix the power problem in this country, generators will remain the lifeline people hold on to. And with it comes pollution, with it comes noise, with it also comes thick and suffocating air. I even stopped day dreaming of a quite, noiseless, fresh environment. But until the power problem is fixed, we would just keep going and hoping for a miracle that might never come.

Posted Using INLEO