This Deepavali, pollution dips, but injuries go up

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board chairperson A S Sadashivaiah on Friday revealed the noise and air pollution readings recorded during the three days of Deepavali celebrations.

While there has been a decrease in noise and air pollution levels compared to last year, the level of ambient noise in the City was still higher than the national limit. Air pollution has not exceeded the national ambient air quality standards in the City.

Sadashivaiah attributed the decrease in pollution to heavy rain on the first day of the festival. The maximum number of crackers were burst on the second day –– the Lakshmi Pooja day –– of the festival.

The overall noise level in the City was 27 per cent more than the national limit on ambient noise. The noisiest places were Kumara Park West at 44 per cent, AECS Layout (Whitefield) at 40 per cent, Fortis Hospital Nagarbhavi at 35 per cent and Cubbonpet at 28 per cent.

BTM Layout, Parisara Bhavan, Peenya, Marathahalli recorded noise levels that were within the limit.

Sadashivaiah pointed out that Bellary, which recorded the highest decibel levels at 103 dB during last Deepavali, saw a 32 per cent dip this year with just 70.2 dB.

Air pollution
The levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Sulphur dioxides (SO2) and Carbon monoxide (CO) have not exceeded the national ambient air quality standards. Except for sulphur dioxide, the levels of other three pollutants –– NOx, RSPM and CO –– decreased at the City Railway Station by 27 per cent and at SG Halli by 31 per cent compared to normal days.

The two continuous ambient air quality monitoring equipment show a decrease of 35 per cent in the pollutant levels compared to last year’s Deepavali.

Cracker injuries
While pollution levels dipped, firecracker injuries, especially eye injuries, have increased in the City.

Minto Eye Hospital, which received 40-odd cases last year, received more than 50 eye injury cases this year. Dr Shivaprasad Reddy, director and medical superintendent of the hospital, said: “Most of them came as outpatients with mild to severe injuries. About 15 patients needed hospitalisation and two among them have suffered very severe injuries.”
Nikhil Raj, 9, suffered a tear in the eye while bursting crackers, and Devaraj, 28, an onlooker, suffered a globe rupture. Doctors said these two patients are likely to lose vision in one eye.

In Narayana Nethralaya too, there has been an increase in the number of patients.  The hospital received 54 patients, with three patients facing the risk of losing sight in one eye.

Among the three, doctors are hopeful about two patients –– Akul Bhatnagar, 8, and Sakshi, 7 –– but Ramachandra, 32, a construction labourer, has lost his left eye.

Ramachandra sustained the injury at his owner’s house while watching the owner’s sons burst crackers. “The children were bursting crackers and I was standing nearby, when a lit rocket exploded in my face,” he said.

At the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, 28 cases of burns were registered in the last three days.