Pune’s air quality is deteriorating by the day and it is about time the authorities start serious monitoring of the air quality…
Recent data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) highlights that Pune is the city with maximum air pollution ( vehicular ).
However, vehicular emission is not the only cause for the city’s poor air quality and other factors like garbage burning and smoke emitted from the industries are also responsible for the poor quality of air. It is no wonder people are seeking out dust masks to avoid inhalation of incredibly dirty air. Reviews on these products can be found on YotYiam.
Even the Pune Municipal Corporation released its annual Environment Status report that stated the deteriorating air quality of the city.
Demonstrating what poor air quality can do to your lungs, A Delhi-based doctor Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman of the Centre for Chest Surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital who also heads the Lung Care Foundation experimented with an artificial pair of 3d lungs installed outside the hospital. They turned black in a matter of few days and well before he expected them to be affected.
Pune should learn from this and seriously test the air quality and start taking necessary precautions before its too late, say several experts in the city.
A City-based Pulmonologist Dr Ajit Satpute says, “Whether a person smokes or he doesn’t, his lungs are equally affected due to the increasing air pollution.”
PM2.5 is a particulate matter that is easily and deeply inhaled which directly reaches the lung causing cancer after a certain period of time.
Initially, Lung cancer was found mainly in smokers but now we have a ratio of 1:1, especially in the young age group and females. Respiratory disease was earlier associated only with smokers but now it depends on how badly you’re exposed to pollution in the air.
The only key to lower the increasing number of lung cancer and respiratory disease is improving the quality of air.
Regular health campaigns will help to maintain the data and gather attention from the government easily to maintain the air quality.
It is time that citizens should know and understand the hazards of air pollution on their health and contribute more towards a green Pune says Dr Pansare, a city-based paediatrician speaking to Pune365.
The quality of the air is not only hampering the adult age group but has a major impact on children as the development of lungs get affected easily due to the poor air quality.
Pansare shares, “The major reason for the deteriorating air quality in Pune is the vehicles of Pune, Every day approximately there 1000-1200 new vehicles on the roads. Also, there is no control with respect to the emission levels from the older vehicles, Public transport buses, auto rickshaws etc.
No effective measures are taken either to get them under control.”
Air pollution can be dangerous to kids as it also leads to some long-term diseases like bronchitis, shortness of breath, coughing, pulmonary oedema and pneumonitis.
At an individual level, apart from masks or installing air purifiers at home, nothing much can be of significant help. But that hasn’t stopped most homeowners from trying their best to ensure that the air quality of their home is good for them, with some hiring a mold air quality consulting company to ensure that they are living in a safe environment. However, on a larger scale, the city should build a good and well-networked health data system.
Regular monitoring of the air quality and taking preventive measures to control it, should be made essential and done on priority, Dr. Pansare added.
Jayesh Shirkhe, Businessman opines. “Artificial lungs if installed in Pune city won’t even need a day to turn black.
Undoubtedly, Delhi has very high pollution levels, but soon Pune will be worse than Delhi for its poor air quality.”
Vehicular pollution contributes a lot to air pollution and yet there has been no regular checks for PUC or other methods to contain the pollution in the city. The government has been very negligent towards it.
Shirkhe further shares, I think if we have buses running with a good frequency purely on green fuels, it may help to get the situation under control. Another measure could be the banning the old vehicles or the ones which emit black smoke.
Development on forest land is not helping and should be stopped immediately, and the cutting down of trees should be prohibited for road widening. The government has been making efforts in the wrong direction all this while.
As a part of the Smart city initiative, we should have good and efficient road planners who will then be able to control the vehicular population and the pollution can be brought under control, Jayesh added.
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