Link to the article in Times of India.
According to WHO figures of 2011, Ludhiana was the most polluted city in India with 251 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter (PM10) followed by Kanpur (209) and Delhi (198).
Top 100 cities with the worst air quality (WHO, 2011)
"According to the data with us, Ludhiana looks pretty polluted. Our data isn't good enough to provide city-specific estimates of life expectancy loss but it is relevant to note that pollution in Ludhiana is double the national average, which gave us life loss of 3.3 years. According to the Pollution Control Board report for the city, it seems like a case of pollution largely from stationary small and medium industries", Pande told The Times of India. Pande suggests public private Initiatives and installation of continuous pollution monitoring devices to improve air quality.
Surjeet Singh, a 45-year-old businessman from BRS Nagar started having frequent attacks of asthma about a decade ago. A pulmonary specialist told him high pollution levels triggered asthma. Although Singh has been taking precautions, his condition has not improved much.Outdoor air pollution in India
According to specialists, while no study has been conducted on the impact of high pollution level on life expectancy in the study, but the fact is that high level of pollution does affect life expectancy if preventive steps are not taken.
Dr Jagdeep Whig, a city-based chest specialist said minute particles in the air enter the lungs and cause respiratory diseases, decreasing lung capacity and affecting immunity in the long run. "As high level of air pollution results in frequent health problems, we expect life expectancy to come down", he said.
Talking about the cases being reported in hospitals, Dr Gurpreet Singh of SPS Apollo Hospital said, "We are frequently getting cases of intractable cough even among young patients. Although X-Ray and other tests suggest that chest is clear, even then the patient coughs a lot. This is the result of high pollution level, which has led to asthma, COPD and other problems even among young patients".
For environmental activists, this is cause for serious concern. They want the PPCB to act against industrial units pumping pollutants into the air. "Many studies suggest that our city is one of the most polluted in the world. In the absence of proper checks, industries are spewing huge quantities of suspended particles in the air. Corrective steps need to be taken before the quality of life in the city deteriorates further", Amandeep Singh Bains, an environmental activist of the city.
MC estimates suggests there are around 10 lakh plants and trees in the city, which has a population of around 16 lakh, as recorded in the 2011 census.
Harbeen Singh, senior environmental engineer (SEE), PPCB, said, "A human with a life span of 50 to 60 years needs 50 to 100 plants and trees for healthy living. If the number of trees for 16 persons is just 10 in the city, it is very less."
For doctors in the city, Pande's paper does not come as a surprise. "High level of air pollution is leading to respiratory problems among city residents, including COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease), asthma and lung cancer, which do lead to death. During the last 10 years, the number of patients with respiratory problems has risen three times. As air pollution affects the respiratory system, immunity suffers, which makes a person prone to diseases.
Ailments also have an impact on life expectancy", said Dr Gurpreet Singh, senior consultant in pulmonary medicine, SPS Apollo Hospital. As for residents, the downward slide in health is evident. Take the case of Vineet Kumar, 28, a software professional from Civil Lines, who worked in Bangalore for a few years. He did not have any respiratory problem in the southern city. But months after he arrived in Ludhiana, he had respiratory problems, including coughing, shortness of breath and watery eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment