• Doctors and environmentalists have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision prohibiting the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, and expressed the hope that it would ensure a relatively cleaner Diwali this year.

Effects:

• This may give some relief from the episodic air pollution levels.
• Pollution affects all parts of the body, be it skin, eyes, nose, heart or lungs.
• Underlying diseases such as asthma also get aggravated and there is no doubt that the number and severity of diseases have increased manifold in the city.

Open field burning

• On the factors responsible for deteriorating air quality in the National Capital, Dr. S. P. Byotra, chairman and head, Department of Internal Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said: “Of all the other factors, open field burning is responsible for 12% to 25% of particulate pollution in Delhi.
• Fall in wind speed is making the situation worse.
• We are witnessing almost 40% to 50% increase in OPD patients with respiratory problems.
• Wearing pollution mask, controlling indoor air quality and using air purifiers at home may give some relief to such patients.

Smog engulfs city

• According to experts, the air quality deteriorates drastically around Diwali as a thick layer of smog, mixed with dangerous chemicals, engulfs the city.
• The concentrations of ultra-fine PM2.5 reach as high as 1,000 ug/m3, nearly 17 times the safe limit of 60 ug/m3. The levels are usually highest in the early mornings and late evenings.
• Morning joggers, schoolchildren, and elderly are more vulnerable to such highly toxic smog.
• Those suffering from chronic pulmonary diseases or having weak immunity can develop serious short term and long term lung damage.
• Breathlessness, coughing fit, chest tightness, asthma, pulmonary disease, rhinitis, and pneumonia are some of the common ill-effects of high levels of air pollution around Diwali.
• Prolonged exposure to concentrated metal particles is associated in the long term with lung cancer, pneumoconiosis, and emphysema.
• Such patients should avoid moving outdoors during early morning and late evening and should wear a quality face mask when they move out during daytime.

Conclusion:

• However, the pollution levels in North India are multiple times higher than the national standards throughout the winter months, hence, we also need to look at a stricter, comprehensive and time-bound action plan to address all sources of air pollution across the country.

Source:TH