Delhi air pollution: Need solutions which work throughout year, not short period

Amid worsening air pollution in the national capital health experts on Saturday emphasised the need for solutions that work throughout the year and not for a short periodDelhirsquos air quality remained entrenched in the very poor category for the 15th consecutive day with the Central Pollution Control Board CPCB recording an Air Quality Index AQI of 338 at 7 amldquoWe have reached an emergency in Delhi The efforts to curb pollution cannot be only temporary which may help immediately for a little while but longterm solutions to this city are urgently requiredrdquo Dr Anant Mohan Professor and Head Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders AIIMS New Delhi told IANSWe have to do something very urgently on this now at this stage he addedThe cityrsquos 24hour average AQI on Friday stood at 369 extending Delhirsquos persistent run of very poor air quality through half the monthForecasts from airquality and weather agencies indicate that conditions are unlikely to undergo any significant improvement over the coming week as meteorological factors remain largely unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutantsldquoWe talk about pollution when November and December come and those three months we are very active We are thinking there is so much in the media but even in the summer the air quality is not good Air quality remains suboptimal as compared to the global standards even when the weather is finerdquo said Dr Saurabh Mittal Department of Pulmonary Medicine AIIMS DelhildquoWe need to work on solutions that work throughout the year not on a short period of timerdquo Mittal addedThe consistently unhealthy air levels are due to Delhis geography and manmade factors said the expertsldquoThe airshed for the IndoGangetic plains includes Delhi and has some of the highest pollution levels in the world One reason is the unique geography of the region which traps pollution during the winter months when winds slow But this is exacerbated by many other factors that we have more control over such as the everincreasing numbers of vehicles biomass burning unlicensed factories festivals which add to the polluted air and constant constructionrdquo Gautam Menon Dean Research and Professor of Physics and Biology Ashoka University told IANSAir pollution has both shortterm and longterm effects on health Shortterm consequences are coughing eye irritation headaches and asthma attacks while longterm impacts include severe chronic diseases such as respiratory diseases including COPD and lung cancer heart attacks stroke and nervous system damage as well as developmental issues in childrenMany studies have reported that pollutants from the environment such as carbon monoxide ozone nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide are a leading cause of strokeldquoTiny particulate matter PM 25 enters our bloodstream via the lungs and damages blood vessels increasing blood pressurerdquo citybased neurologist Dr Prof P N Renjen told IANSThe experts recommended wearing masks during peak pollution and avoiding early morning outdoor activitiesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever