Air pollution is posing a serious health risk in India as the number of cases of acute respiratory infection (ARI) have risen by 5 million since 2012, Union Government has revealed. A lethal combination of pollutants from traffic emission to particulates from burning of garbage, besides from various mining activities as well as industrial effluents, is causing grave health problem to the inhabitants of the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 13 of the 20 international cities with worst fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in air pollution, are in India.
Take the case of Goa. There has been an explosive growth in the number of personal vehicles, due to lack of an efficient transport system. Yes, there is better fuel and high emission standards, but the number of cars and two-wheelers on the roads is so large that all the plus points are crossed out. In addition, there is the indiscriminate mining activities, even in reserved forest areas, during the dry months. All this pollution in the air creates a massive health hazard to the luckless inhabitants of the state.
In fact, a recent hospital-based study conducted in the Goa Medical College Hospital, which is published in the International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health, shows that a large number of people, particularly women, in Goa are suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) due to outdoor pollution as well as due to exposure to smoke produced by biomass fuel used for cooking and heating. According to the study, due to burning of biomass fuels with incomplete combustion, various pollutants are released and over 90 per cent are in the inhalable size range. The most common symptoms of COPD are said to be breathlessness, excessive sputum in the throat and chronic cough in early morning. It is a life threatening lung disease that may progressively lead to death, the study concluded.
Experts point out that reducing emissions, which cause poor air quality, ozone depletion and climate change, is the key to healthy life. Whether it is indoor or outdoor, air pollution can trigger lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and other acute lower respiratory infections, loss of vision, including cataracts and it heightens the risk of cardiovascular disease. The annual cost of the environmental damage due to outdoor and indoor air pollution in India has been estimated to be Rs.1,10,000 crore and Rs 87000 crore respectively.
A recent Union government report notes the strong association between air pollution and respiratory diseases. Around 3.5 crore acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases were reported in 2014, out of which 1.7 crore were women and 1.8 crore were men. The report stated that air pollution leads to a wide array, of health effects, of which ARI ‘has accounted for the maximum number of cases’ while noting that ‘over the years, acute respiratory infection cases are showing an increasing trend’. This is clearly discernible since 2011. The National Health Profile 2015, published by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, along with comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human resources in health.
The data was presented by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry to the Parliament during the last monsoon session, in a rare official admission that pollution could be causing deaths on a large scale. However, international studies have attributed for more deaths to air pollution in India. A WHO assessment report in May, showed India as the worst affected country. The WHO has ranked outdoor air pollution among the top killers in India. Air pollution has also made India home to the highest rate of deaths caused by chronic respiratory diseases anywhere in the world. Bad air is also blamed for the growth in stress levels as well as non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the WHO report.
Experts are insistent that the causes, sources and impact of air quality issues are interconnected and they need to be addressed together. One solution is better and more extensive public transport such as the metro and buses. Addressing one air quality issue can often help to reduce other kinds of pollution. The government, in partnership with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), technical specialists and research organizations, need to initiate a clear air campaign.
This needs to take the form of legislation as well as behavior changing approaches. Governments, both at the central and state levels, need to reassess their production and consumption of energy and work with partners for low-carbon future – one that is more efficient, has more natural gas and a growing share of renewable energy, such as solar and biogas. The government cannot delay a roadmap for emissions standards any longer, as only better regulation and the adoption of an inclusive approach that promotes healthier lifestyles will result in cleaner air, experts insist.
(The writer is a freelance journalist)
