JOIN USA recent study has revealed that over 35 per cent of school going children in the country suffer from compromised lung capacity, while in the City 36 per cent of children were diagnosed with poor lung capacity.
The study titled “35 per cent children in India detected with compromised lung capacity: Breathe Blue'15” was conducted on children aged between 8 and 15 by Heal Foundation from January to April. The study covered around 2,000 children-735 from Delhi, 573 in Mumbai, 503 in Bengaluru and 562 in Kolkata.
Samples were collected from busy traffic junctions and schools, R Shankar, president of Heal Foundation said. He was speaking to the media after handing over the survey report to the KSPCB on Monday.
According to the study, children in Delhi were worst affected with 40 per cent diagnosed with poor lung capacity. In case of Bengaluru the figure stood at 36 per cent.
It was found that children commuting in autos, buses, two-wheelers and even pedestrians were most prone to developing lung problems as they were exposed to higher levels of pollution.
Speaking on the occasion, KSPCB Chairman Vaman Acharya said that Bengaluru was next to Delhi in terms of air pollution because the City is jam-packed from all sides. In coastal areas and cities such as Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai there is space for pollutants to escape. “Fine particulate matter around 2.5PM was present in large quantities in the atmosphere which was the main cause of lung problems among pregnant women and children. Dust and smoke are worst problem in City. Talks are on with government to introduce battery operated autos and vehicles from bus stands,” he said.
This is the first such study in India and a second one, which will be area specific, will be taken up soon, Shankar said.