No 'good air quality day' in Varanasi in 2015, activists want air pollution to be election agenda in UP

The Times of India , Monday, December 12, 2016
Correspondent : Jayashree Nandi
NEW DELHI: People in Varanasi, Allahabad and Gwalior didn't breathe "good air" even a single day in 2015 among 41 million plus population cities, according to data published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). "Varanasi Chokes," a new report released in Varanasi on Monday delves deeper in to PM Modi's constituency facing severe air pollution crisis—as per data obtained under RTI by the authors of the report, average PM 10 (coarse pollution particles) levels in Varanasi increased steadily between 2010 and 2016.

The report is also being used by civil society organisations to demand action on air pollution and make it an agenda for political parties in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh election.

Varanasi has only three air quality monitoring stations with just one online monitoring station that monitors both PM 10 and PM 2.5. In comparison, Delhi has 13 continuous air quality monitoring stations. PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) average data for 4 weeks between October 2015 and November 2016 for Varanasi show they are at least two to three times the national safe standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metres. Abysmal air quality monitoring infrastructure in these cities is also responsible for lack of focus on controlling emissions in the region, experts said. Delhi had 24 "good" air days in 2015 according to the same CPCB report.

The report released by Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED), IndiaSpend and Care4Air also quotes testimonies of doctors and patients from Varanasi who say there is several fold rise in air and water pollution associated health conditions. Dr R N Vajpayee, a pulmonologist and a chest physician for example says bronchial allergies and chest infections have increase manifold in the last 4 to 5 years. "Cases of asthma and breathlessness have gone up by 20% to 25%. Apart from respiratory tract problems, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis are common...but what I find most common in Varanasi is most people suffer from allergies and its probably linked to pollution. Skin allergies are also common—Urticaria is on the rise."

Rohit Kumar Tandon who runs a shop in the chowk area is being treated for chest and throat infection for a couple of years now. "My cough is a continuous problem. Every second person in the area suffers from allergies and chest congestion. Initially we were happy to be in PM 's constituency but so far there is no impact," Tandon is quoted in the report. Dr Pradeep Jindal, a paediatrician in Sigra, Varanasi says the increase in respiratory illnesses among children could be as high as eight fold in the last 22 years. "There is dust on all sides of the roads, very high emission load from vehicles along with Nagar Nigam setting trash on fire..." he adds.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/No-good-air-quality-day-in-Varanasi-last-year-activists-want-air-pollution-to-be-election-agenda-in-UP/articleshow/55935102.cms
 


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