While there were a little over 10 lakh such patients in the state in 2013, by 2015, that number neared 14 lakh. Experts attribute the rapid acceleration in the number of respiratory disease patients to increasing air pollution.

According to the report, 10,41,042 cases were registered in 2013 in Gujarat, which increased to 12,49,351 in 2014. In 2015, the state registered 13,69,389 cases of patients suffering from respiratory diseases.

This accounts for 3.84% respiratory disease cases registered in India last year. Across India, in 2015, 3,56,50,451 cases of acute respiratory disease had been reported.

The report of the Union health ministry also stated that the state has recorded 41,461 cases of tuberculosis in 2015 with 2,172 patients losing their lives.

According to experts increasing pollution and particulate matter in the atmosphere can be held responsible for the rising incidence of respiratory diseases, which include asthma, tuberculosis, silicosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a type of obstructive lung disease.

Dr Rajesh Solanki, senior pulmonologist at Civil Hospital, said that TB and asthma are spreading in the state.

"Pollution and dust particles are the most common factors that contribute in increasing respiratory diseases. Air pollution, mainly due to industrial and untreated chemical effluent vapours in the air, is the most common reason behind the rampant increase in respiratory problems," Solanki said.

Solanki further added that they have conducted a study in 12 cities of Gujarat in which it was found that people living in urban areas, especially in slums, are more susceptible to respiratory diseases.

"In urban slums, lack of ventilation increases cases of COPD and asthma. Children and elderly people are the biggest sufferers," Solanki said.

He said that labourers working in silica industry suffer from silicosis, in which patients, after developing acute respiratory problems, often die at the age of 30 to 35.

Dr SandipMalhan, superintendent of AMC-run VS hospital, said that apart from the increasing pollution level, the changing pattern of weather is also responsible for the spike in respiratory diseases.

Times View

It has been five months since the Gujarat government introduced steep fines ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, for polluting vehicles. But the Ahmedabad traffic police are dragging their feet in its implementation. Just formulating rules and hiking fines without effective enforcement will take us back a decade when Ahmedabad was the most polluted city in the country. Though there are rules in place to phase out old diesel trucks and other vehicles, there is no proactive move to take them off the streets. Other major contributors, like the smoulderingPirana garbage dump and polluting industrial clusters, largely remain unchecked.