CHANDIGARH: A three-day training programme on 'Impact of air quality on human health' commenced on Monday at School of Public Health, PGI. The training programme is being organized by School of Public Health (SPH), PGI, in collaboration with department of environment studies, Panjab University, and funded by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
This programme is specially designed for participants representing pollution control boards of various states. Dr Ravindra Khaiwal, assistant professor of environment health, SPH, and Dr Suman Mor, assistant professor, department of environment studies, PU, are coordinating the programme.
Dr Khaiwal highlighted that WHO estimated that around 7 million people died as a result of air pollution in 2012 and mainly in Asian counties. Hence, air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. With reduction in air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease like stroke, heart ailments, lung cancer and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma.
Dr Mor said that the rate at which urban air pollution has grown across India is alarming and almost all cities are reeling under severe particulate pollution while other pollutants like oxides of nitrogen and air toxics have begun to add to the public health challenge. Hence, there are serious concerns about the adverse impact of vehicular pollution.
The environmental training programme was inaugurated by Bhola Ram Gurjar, a professor of environmental engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, and Dr Manmeet Kaur of SPH. Dr Gurjar highlighted that it is important to regularly monitor the air quality.
