Children falling victims to air pollution in City, says study

The rising pollution in the City has led to drastic increase in asthma among children during summer, according to a study conducted by Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP) of Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

According to the study report, the incidence of asthma has gone up by 10 times in the last 16 years - from 2.8 per cent in 1994 to 28.8 per cent in 2010. Construction works, road widening, tree felling and increasing vehicular population have contributed in making Bangalore the asthma capital, said Mahesh Kashyap, a research fellow with CiSTUP. He was delivering a lecture at a workshop on fuel efficiency on Tuesday.

Underscoring the gravity of the situation in view of the unprecedented rise in respiratory ailments, Kashyap said 10 per cent of the City’s population - which is about nine lakh - suffer from health problems caused by air pollution.

The report points out that traffic police, who spend most part of the day at traffic
junctions are more susceptible to respiratory problems. At least 26 per cent of the traffic cops have asthma, 27 per cent suffer from cough and eight per cent complained of breathlessness.

There has also been a gradual increase in the average temperature of the City. The average temperature has gone up from 29.8 degree Celsius in 2008 to 30.9 degree Celsius in 2012. Kashyap said the rise in temperature will affect formation of ozone layer.

Recommendations

The study has recommended changing locations of exhaust, emission testing, promoting public transport, use of alternative fuel and promoting four-stroke engine vehicles.

CISTUP has also recommended that special precaution should be taken to avoid respiratory diseases during summer. Kashyap suggested that people, especially children, should avoid venturing out from 12 noon to 4 pm during summer.

Step out after 6 pm

People having respiratory problems should prefer going out only after 6 pm.
The event was organised by the CMSR Consultants, the International  Council on Clean Transportation and The Energy and Resources Institute to deliberate upon improving the urban life, which is becoming increasingly dependent on vehicles.

Statistics

* 1994        2.8 pc
* 2004        19.7 pc
* 2010        28.8 pc