Polluted Pune, heedless PMC

Times of India , Thursday, December 13, 2007
Correspondent : Radheshyam Jadhav
PUNE: Though Pune has featured in the list of most polluted cities in the country, there is no comprehensive health survey in place to assess the air pollution impact on citizens. The municipal body and medical practitioners agree that a comprehensive health survey was imperative considering the drastic rise in cases of bronchitis, wheezing, common cold, skin rashes, eye infections and asthma cases. "Situation is grave, especially for children. Vehicular pollution is on the rise and major victims are children below 14 years who are suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems. It is a cause of concern as the growing generation will suffer in long term," said paediatrician Shirish Kankaria. Supporting his observations is the Environment Status Report (ESR) 2006-07 of the Pune Municipal Corporation. It expresses concern over the rising vehicle population that has crossed 14.45 lakh, a rise of 8-9 per cent since 2006. The rise in number of vehicles has resulted in higher sound and air pollution levels," says the report. "We are interacting with the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Pune chapter to check the possibility of a joint survey, which would help the municipal body to plan future strategy," said Ajay Ojha, head of the PMC’s pollution cell. The PMC plans to use the ‘air pollution and health impact’ software, which is being used in Mumbai, to collect the data. "We are ready with the questioner to be distributed among citizens for which we need help from NGOs and other organizations." IMA Pune branch president Hillary Rodrigues said, "The IMA will be interested to be part of such a survey. Members of the IMA will discuss this matter in the managing committee meeting." In 1996 the IMA had conducted a survey on impact of pollution on citizens. The survey results were submitted to the then municipal commissioner Ramanath Jha. However, the PMC never acted on it. Pravin Joshi, who was the then president of IMA Pune and headed the study, said notwithstanding with the apathy of the civic body, stockholders in the city should join hands for conducting a health survey in the city. The city-based Chest Research Foundation (CRF) had conducted a study two years ago on the air pollution effect on health. The CRF and the department of respiratory medicine at B.J. Medical College had also conducted a research on 325 actively serving traffic policemen and 123 non-traffic policemen. "But, instead of sporadic ones, there need to be comprehensive surveys which would come out with solid data so that further strategy and health policy of the city could be carved out," said Devendra Shirole, state wing president of the IMA who pointed out at the fact that major cities in India have such health surveys in place

 
SOURCE : Times of India, Thursday, 13 December 2007
 


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