City sounds choke alarm

This Diwali may leave you gasping for breath, as the pollution levels are going to be 'severe', if people on Sunday continue to burst crackers across the city. Moreover, low wind patterns will further move up the pollution levels.

Projections and forecasts from the MET department suggest that wind is going to be 'calm' in the coming days, which means the emissions from crackers will remain hanging heavy in the city air, said experts.

"On the eve of Diwali the SAFAR (System for Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) projection said that calm wind and fire-cracker burning will take the pollution levels to the worst category," said, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), adding that in such a scenario it's a question of stepping up the intensity of anti-fire cracker campaign.

"It's not just that we talk about this campaign only around Diwali. The government must have a roadmap for the next Diwali and have regulatory preparedness in place. The kind of situation the capital city is in, it needs stringent measures all round the year to have at least breathable air," she said.

Health experts in the city have witnessed a steep rise in the cases of respiratory tract infections. With the rising air pollution in the capital, every person is either sneezing or coughing. Newborn and elderly are the worst affected.

"While asthma and other such respiratory problems are well known in children and adults due to excessive air pollution because of fire crackers burnt during Diwali, much less is known of the damage caused to major blood vessels. The build-up of proteins that inhibit blood vessel growth increases, which causes irregular flow of blood, incidental inflammation of the vessels and increase in pressure.

The Air pollution can thus lead to long term cardiovascular diseases among people. You must burn smokeless and good quality crackers to ensure that you continue to have safe, healthy and prosperous Diwali", said Dr Sandeep Nayar, Senior Consultant and HOD, Respiratory Medicine, Allergy and Sleep Disorders, BLK Super Speciality Hospital.

The US embassy in Delhi has marked the pollution levels in nine major points in the capital under 'unhealthy' category in last seven days. Even on Saturday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) at Anand Vihar was recorded 792 at 2 pm, which means the air in the area is 'hazardous' for the people living and visiting the area. Out of the nine points, four points recorded 'hazardous' level of air pollution and rest were 'unhealthy'.

The agency's definition of hazardous specifies, "Serious aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly; serious risk of respiratory effects in general population. To put that in a better perspective, any reading above 150 is considered unhealthy, within the range of 351-500 classified as 'hazardous'.

The World Health Organisation estimates that 4.6 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution. Many of these deaths are attributable to indoor air pollution. Basically, household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution.

Pollutants of major public health concern include, particulate matter, Carbon Monoxide, Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulphur Dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal.

The WHO has ranked outdoor air pollution among the top killers in India. Air pollution has also made India the country with the highest rate of deaths caused by chronic respiratory diseases anywhere in the world. Bad air is also blamed for the growth in stress levels as well as non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure.

As the AQI increases, large percentage of population is likely to experience severe health effects.

Case study 1

Namrata Kalra, from Ashok Vihar is not able to enjoy her favourite 'kachoris' during the festive season. A die-hard foodie is devoid of all fried food during the winters when the level of air pollution is abnormally high in Delhi. Having a history of asthma, she faces high level of congestion during the onset of winters, as the weather takes a turn.

"This happens every time during the festivals. For the last six years, I have been facing this and the situation is getting worse with every passing year. I don't eat any food, don't go out with uncovered face and I am continuously on medicines," Kalra, 49, homemaker.

Case study 2

Going out for a walk has become a hassle for Narayan Das Wadhwa, 90, and more so on this Diwali. He feels 'suffocated' each time he attempts taking a walk in his colony park in south Delhi's Safdarjung Enclave. He wears a mask even during the day and has a series of plants in his room's balcony to have more oxygen to clean the air.

A heart and lung patient, Wadhwa, says, "I try to remain indoors on my second-floor house where there is still better wind to blow the Diwali smoke away. However, this time I feel 'suffocated' even inside the room. My doctor has advised me to take long walks in the park twice a day to improve my blood circulation. But during this week I have barely been able to go out because of the heavy air pollution. I just can't go out without the mask on. It's like a life-support system for me."

This time in the colony, he said, the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) has organised an educative campaign to discourage children and youngsters from burning crackers.

"The RWA here held a meeting last Sunday to discuss steps for having an eco-friendly Diwali. I hope it brings some change in people," said,Wadhwa, who retired in 1987 from the Ministry of Agriculture.