Page 6 - The Indian EYE 111023

NATION NOVEMBER 10, 2023 | The Indian Eye 6

Toxic City: India’s capital

struggles with dirty air and smog

with serious health crisis

A study on the relationship between rising pollution and emergency cases coming to hospitals shows

that deteriorating air quality has a severe impact on human lungs and overall health

OUR BUREAU plement all directions and guidelines
related to the abatement of air pollu-
New Delhi
tion, particularly under the schedule
t is that time of the year again of the GRAP and the citizens to fol-
when Delhi finds it hard to low the Citizen Charter in our joint
Ibreathe. pursuit for better air quality.
With the arrival of winter, the Meanwhile, a study conducted
national capital is once again wit- by the top four hospitals on the rela-
nessing a deteriorating quality of air. tionship between rising pollution and
On Thursday, the city’s Air Quality emergency cases coming to hospitals
Index (AQI) was at 343, which falls showed that deteriorating air quality
in ‘very poor’ quality for the fifth has a severe impact on human lungs
consecutive day, triggering the risk of and overall health. The study that
health emergency. Since then, the air was conducted between 2017 and
quality has continued to go to rack 2019 included the All India Institute
and ruin in Delhi. of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi;
Kalavati Saran Children’s Hospital;
The AQI was recorded at 322 Vallabhbhai Chest Institute; and the
National Institute of TB and Respi-
on Monday and 327 on Tues- ratory Diseases Hospital.
To carry out this study, the hos-
day against 336 on Wednes- pitals daily monitored the health of
day, as per the data provided An Anti-smog machine sprays water droplets on the road to reduce the rising air pollution in the patients coming to the emergen-

by the System of Air Quality the national capital on Thursday (ANI) cy wards. Also, data on outstation
patients were collected, including
and Weather Forecasting and those living in Delhi for three to four
Research (SAFAR)-India. are finding it difficult to breathe. We by the levels of rainfall/ precipitation weeks.
are facing irritation in the eyes too. and wind speed which are prime fa- According to Dr SK Kabra, who
People are flocking to doctors with cilitators for dispersal of the pollut- is the HOD of the Paediatric Depart-
Amid the rising pollution and
deteriorating air quality, the next respiratory problems or eye issues ants/emissions. Effective dispersal ment of AIIMS Hospital, the num-
is a must for good air quality, even
ber of emergency patients in these
including many others. The Delhi
15 days are going to be crucial said government should extend its effort if there is a control/reduction in the hospitals records a spike when the
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal to curb the pollution”, said Sanjay quantum of emissions from all the pollution in the city increases. Dr.
Rai on Thursday. Rai said, “When Verma, a commuter, while speaking primary sources in the region, added Kabra, citing the same study, said
compared to the earlier times, the to ANI. the statement. that the rising pollution in the city
situation has definitely gone better. Visuals from Anand Vihar Ter- In the wake of highly unfa- causes adverse effects on the health
However, according to the experts, minal showed the place covered in a vourable meteorological and cli- of children and adults, sometimes
the next 15 days will be crucial. The thick layer of smog. Earlier on Tues- matic conditions prevailing around even leading them to admission to
government is working on how to cut day, the environment ministry said this point of time, measures under the hospital.
the sources that cause pollution”. in a statement that the daily average GRAP Stage-II were invoked proac- “The need to go to the emergen-
Rai also called for cooperation
between the Central government and air quality in Delhi, for the 10-month tively on 21.10.2023 so as to intensi- cy room arises when the condition of
period between January - October
a patient is very serious,” said Kabra.
fy the preventive measures towards
the state government. “We need to 2023, has registered its best index as endeavouring delayed invoking of During this study invited by
work unitedly in order to curb the sit- compared to the corresponding pe- Stage-III of the GRAP as much as ICMR, it was also observed that the
uation. Everyone needs to be aware riod during the last 6 years (barring possible. GRAP Stage-III in previous patients who came to emergency hos-
of it”, he said. the COVID affected 2020), thus es- years was invoked in the last week of pitals with problems caused by pollu-
Meanwhile, the commuters are
facing health issues while there is tablishing a continual trend of rela- October which has not been the case tion did not include those who were
already suffering from any serious dis-
during 2023, said the statement.
tive improvement in the air quality of
no sign of amelioration. “There is Delhi-NCR. The Commission once again urg- ease; rather, they included those not
so much pollution here in Delhi. We
AQI levels are greatly impacted es the stakeholders to effectively im- suffering from any serious diseases.
www.TheIndianEYE.com