Gasping for breath? Blame the Delhi air

Times Of India , Monday, October 25, 2004
Correspondent : Pallavi Majumdar
NEW DELHI: Living in Delhi can leave you breathless, literally. The air you breathe is so polluted that two out of every five Delhiites suffer from some form of lung impairment. There’s more: polluted air alters immunity, impairs liver function, affects genetic changes and causes blood-related abnormalities.

These frightening facts emerge from a study commissioned by the Central Pollution Control Board. The survey covered 2,379 individuals through questionnaires and clinically examined 1,270 people aged between 20 and 75 years, CPCB member secretary B Sengupta said.

People who are exposed to pollution — taxi drivers, residents of central Delhi and those from a low socio-economic status — were the most affected, according to the survey conducted by Kolkata’s Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI).In a parallel study, CNCI examined 4,671 schoolchildren (3,247 boys and 1,424 girls aged 8-16 years) and compared them with matched controls from Sunderban Islands where air pollution is considerably less.

It found that in the case of upper respiratory symptoms like common cold, running nose, sinusitis and sore throat, Delhiites suffered almost two to three times more than the control group. It was the same with lower respiratory symptoms.

Faced with these facts, CPCB is planning to merge the standards of the industrial areas with those of residential/mixed areas. The rationale: there is mixed usage in many parts. Easier pollution norms for industrial zones impact overall pollution levels and endanger health of residents.

 
SOURCE : Times Of India , Monday, October 25, 2004
 


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