Like Saket, for around 2.5 lakh Jaipurites suffering from asthma, Diwali does not mean only celebrations, crackers and sweets but turns a nightmare with aggravated asthmatic condition due to air pollution caused by crackers.
Saket, a 22-year old IT professional and a bronchial asthma patient from Bajaj Nagar in Jaipur, left for his village, about 48 kilometers far from the capital on Dhanteras evening, just two days before Diwali. Reason: Last Diwali, smoke from firecrackers had taken its toll on Rohan. It got so bad that he had to be hospitalised.
Like Saket, for around 2.5 lakh Jaipurites suffering from asthma, Diwali does not mean only celebrations, crackers and sweets but turns a nightmare with aggravated asthmatic condition due to air pollution caused by crackers. “Around 7% of Jaipur population is having asthmatic problem,” Dr Virendra Singh, Chairman Asthma Bhavan told DNA.
“Firecrackers,when they are burnt, release gases including oxides and dioxides of sulfur, nitrogen and carbon, which leads to suffocation, irritation in throat, breathlessness and deteriorates the condition of people with pulmonary diseases,” Dr Singh added.
As per health experts, heavy smog hangs low in the air on Diwali night and a few days after that.
The levels of sulphur nitrates, magnesium, nitrogen dioxide increase and these chemicals are injurious to our respiratory passages. Even the people who are not diagnosed with asthma find the polluted air affecting their lungs which causes various breathing problems.
“The best way to abstain from these problems is that people with asthma should avoid burning crackers,”Dr Shubhranshu, asthma and allergy diseases specialist at Narayana Hospital said.
“Asthma patients must keep themselves away from smoke and fumes such as the smoke from firework and dust cloud or smog. Patients must always carry along inhaler and treat themselves when they develop symptoms like wheezing and suffocating,” said Dr Shubhranshu.
In figures
Total population of Jaipur 31lakh (census 2011)
Estimated population of 2017 36.28 lakh
Population with asthmatic problem 7%
Estimated number of asthmatic patients in Jaipur 2. 54 lakh
Asthmatic patients in India (WHO) 1.5-2 crore
Firecrackers Contain
Potassium Nitrate
Sulphur Nitrate
Cadmium
Magnesium
Lead
Sodium
Barium
Strontium
Hazardous outcome of firecrackers
Sulphur dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Nitrogen oxides
Particulate Matter (PM10)
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