Environmental pollution is not only felt but also seen in Indian cities, causing instant reaction or irritation on the human body. Unless this is checked by strict laws it will become a major health hazard and result in more incidence of killer diseases like cancer. Talking to Pharmabiz before presenting a paper on "Air Pollution and Health", at the two-day seminar on Environment and Community Health in Hyderabad on Thursday, Dr Norbert Englert, Berlin, said in Germany they had stringent laws to control pollution.
Dr E Rahimi, Director, Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai, quoting a Supreme Court observation, said the pollution-caused hazards would be greater than the Bhopal gas tragedy if remedial measures were not taken.
The international seminar is being jointly organized by the Indo-German Nachkontakt Association (IGNA), Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai, IICT and NGRI ( National Geographic Research Institute), Hyderabad at the IICT Auditorium.
Dr Balasubramaniam, Director, L V Prasad Eye Institute, who was the chief guest, said vaccination, treatment of drinking water and other steps had made remarkable improvements in national health and increased the life span of the people from 45 before independence to close to 65 at present. In spite of that more Indians were dying of cholera, malaria and other infectious diseases than in Sri Lanka, though the environment was the same. Sickness affects economic development and this in turn the national development, he said. Seminars of this type should address to these problems.
Dr Balasubramaniam said National Geographic had projected Hyderabad as one of the best 10 cities in the world, more livable and cleaner. He said that was not true. The population was increasing, the number of vehicles was multiplying resulting in air pollution and there was pressure on the availability of drinking water. " Hyderabad could be better, cleaner and greener than it is today," he said.
Dr K V Raghavan, Director, IICT, who presided over the inaugural function, highlighted two major factors for air pollution - industrialization and the rapid growth of automobiles. People could even smell the effects of hydrocarbon in the cities, he said.
After the White and Green Revolution time had come for the Blue Revolution in order to provide clean drinking water. He said institutions like IICT, CDFD, NGRI, CCMB were trying to form a consortium to help the government in controlling the pollutants. The proposed Genome Valley would help reduce air pollution in Hyderabad. The experiments in Delhi had paid off and the national capital was less polluted today, he said.
Environmental pollution and community health were interlinked and must be fought by public and private agencies, scientific and non-scientific agencies and also government and non-government agencies, Dr Raghavan said.
Dr V P Dimri, Director, NGRI, released the souvenir brought out on the occasion. Dr K V R S Murty, Dy Director, IICT, and Dr Prakash V Diwan, Dy Director, also addressed the inaugural gathering.
Presenting his paper at the technical session, Dr Englert reproduced a 1948 WHO definition, "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." This definition showed the different dimensions of health. And Environment, according to Dr Englert, is everything outside the individual, like air, water, soil, food, climate, radiation, viruses, bacteria, toxins, chemical substances etc. Thus health is totally influenced by the environment. Synergy between air pollution and health has been increasingly well accepted. Available data indicate that though ambient PM (particulate matter) air pollution causes health problems, indoor PM air pollution causes even more severe health problems in India.
Dr P S Ramanathan, Director, Gharda Chemicals Ltd, Mumbai, in his paper on "Pollution caused by automobiles" at the technical session, said pollution levels in cities like Mumbai, Delhi. Kolkata and Chennai had reached alarming proportions and they had achieved the distinction of becoming modern gas chambers. Legislation, government regulations and court orders would not solve the problem. Only public awareness followed by united action could lead to a solution. The technology, which had created these problems, should also find the solution. He suggested pressure of public opinion and also public involvement because the government had a dubious distinction of not implementing its own laws.
Dr B Sasikeran, Dy Director, National Institution on Nutrition, Hyderabad, in his paper, "Preserved food (junk food) and health hazards," said consumption of junk food had led to a phenomenal increase in chronic degenerative diseases along with obesity. Life style changes apart from preference for junk food had also resulted in less physical activity. "Unless serious and concerted efforts are made, we will be facing a pandemic of diet induced chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart diseases and cancer."
Dr K Babu Rao, Dy Director, IICT, in his paper on "Indoor environment -impact on health and safety" said there was increasing scientific evidence that the air within homes offices and other buildings could be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air even in the largest and most industrialized cities. According to him, an estimated five lakh women and children die in India every year due to indoor air pollution-related causes. Sources of indoor air pollution, from indoor as well as outdoor, include building materials, materials used inside such as carpets, furnishings, biological contaminants such as bacteria, moulds, mildew, viruses, house dust mites, cockroaches, toxic gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides from indoor combustion for cooking or heating etc.
The two-day conference was concluded on 20th November, 2002.