The city struggles to breathe

Hyderabad Dec. 1: More and more people in the city are suffering from health problems caused by high levels of pollution. Mr Pawan Reddy, an IT professional, went to a hospital because he was suffering from constant breathlessness and was diagnosed with asthma by a pulmonologist. The reasons were obvious. He travels everyday from his house in Secunderabad to his office at Hitec City in the heavy traffic and the severe pollution of the rush hour had finally made him an asthmatic.

V. Esha, 13, a student of a prominent English medium school in the city, is another victim of the city’s polluted air. She had to be admitted to a hospital after an asthma attack.
Samuel (Sam to his friends) was a regular party-goer and used to hit the pub three times in a week. After a while the high-decibel music started to have an effect on him. He is now suffering from partial deafness. While Pawan and Esha are victims of air pollution, Samuel has been affected by noise pollution. Interestingly, the section of people who are most vulnerable are those youngsters who have come back after living in the cleaner environs of foreign countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States for a few years.

“On coming back home, they are unable to cope with the high level of pollution in the city and become victims of various lung and skin diseases,” said Dr Vijay Kumar, director of pulmonary medicine and critical care in Yashoda Hospital. He pointed out that the city had the highest content of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in its air, when compared to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. “The high percentage of SPM aggravates asthma,” added Dr Vijay Kumar. Statistics available with city hospitals also suggest a rise in the number of cases related to pollution. In fact, one-third of the people who visit the outpatient wing of different hospitals today comprise of people affected by pollution.

“Carbon monoxide is the highest pollutant and causes damage beyond repair,” said Dr Kandala Venu, former superintendent of the Chest Hospital in Yerragadda. Carbon Monoxide combines with haemoglobin to form Carboxy Haemoglobin which later leads to pulmonary hypertension. It has an even more intense effect on smokers. Dr Venu added that chronic bronchitis and asthma are most common among residents of Hyderabad and the main causes were vehicular pollution.

Significantly, schoolchildren in the 10-15 age group have become very vulnerable to asthma. “Girls suffer more because of their biological peculiarities,” said Dr Kumar. The way out is to take intensive action to bring down pollution in the city. School kids can be saved from the worst effects of pollution by staggering school timings. Pollution is also affecting the hearing ability of youngsters. “Common cold is a general problem caused by pollution and constant exposure to it can cause irreparable damage to the ears,” said Dr E.C. Vinaya Kumar, head of the ENT department at the Apollo Hospital.

Traffic police are worst hit

Hyderabad Dec. 1: Next time a traffic cop fumes at you for violating a minor traffic rule, think twice before cursing him. He may possibly be experiencing high stress after being exposed to high levels of pollution every day. Not only do high levels of pollution increase irritability, it also raises the blood pressure. Recent studies also say that a gradual loss of hearing is caused by continuous exposure to high noise levels.

A sample survey on effects of noise pollution on traffic policemen in the city revealed that a high 76 per cent of the 45 cops who were screened had noise-induced hearing loss. Among them, cops who had completed five years in the traffic wing had hearing loss in various degrees. An ENT specialist in the city said the use of ear plugs would play a significant role in minimising the hazard of hearing loss. But it cannot totally eliminate the effects of noise pollution. The additional commissioner of police (traffic), Mr N.V. Surendra Babu, said that using air filters for a long duration was not feasible either.

Expressway to take longer

HyderabadDec. 1: Traffic congestion on the Rajiv Rahadari, the highway that connects the city with the coal belt in Karimnagar district, is likely to continue. Due to a number of traffic bottlenecks between Patny and Shamirpet, it takes more than an hour to cross the city limits. However, the state government is not yet ready with its plan to construct an elevated expressway on Rajiv Rahadari.

The Andhra Pradesh Road Development Corporation, which had earlier planned to widen the Rahadari up to four lanes, has now proposed an elevated expressway in its place.
The corporation has entrusted the job of conducting a study on the feasibility of the flyover on this stretch — from Patny to Shamirpet, a 20km distance — to a private consultant.
The corporation has got the “in principle” nod from the Chief Minister to plan the longest elevated expressway (20km) in the city, as the P.V. Narasimha Rao expressway, under construction is less than 12-km long. The APRDC managing director, Mr B. Raja Gopal Reddy, said, “Unless the study report is submitted, we cannot tell the time of project commencement and completion.”