More Public Transport, Less Stubble Burning: UP Moves to Combat Air Pollution But Rules Out Lockdown

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is taking steps to control the air pollution levels in the state but is not keen on imposing any lockdown. According to a government spokesman, the chief minister has asked senior officials to promote public transport over private transport, especially in the national capital region (NCR) districts.

“The CM has asked for a planned action at a local level to deal with pollution levels, especially in areas like Noida and Ghaziabad which are adjoining Delhi where pollution levels are in the severe category. In light of that, he said that people should be encouraged to use public transport,” the government spokesperson told IANS.

He said that farmers are also being sensitised about crop burning and will be informed of the problem they will face due to increased air pollution.

Additional chief secretary (environment), Manoj Kumar, said that during the meeting with the Supreme Court appointed committee, the government laid out the various steps it is already taking to control pollution levels and said that it is not in favour of a lockdown.

“The SC had specifically mentioned two issues on which deliberations were needed. One was a lockdown and the other was stubble burning. UP is not in favour of a lockdown as it will impact our field officers who are tasked with enforcement work. Whatever work they are doing right now will also stop.

“Meanwhile, we are taking other steps like sprinkling of water on medians, roads and trees, planting grass where paving has not taken place, impounding vehicles which are older than 10-15 years and cracking down on illegal disposal of construction waste,” he said.

A senior official said that UP had negligible stubble burning and chief secretary R.K. Tiwari had written to district magistrates to crack down entirely on stubble burning.

“The problem is that the wind velocity is negligible right now and will remain so till November 20. Because of this, there is no dispersal of particulate matter (PM), leading to high pollution levels. Despite that, UP is still only in the very poor category of air pollution,” the official said.

Lucknow Sees More Cases of Respiratory Problems

With pollution levels remaining ‘dangerously high’ and the weather also turning cold, there has been an expected spurt in the number of patients complaining of respiratory disorders in Lucknow. According to doctors, the condition of those already suffering from respiratory diseases has aggravated considerably this year.

Dr Ved Prakash, head of pulmonary and critical care medicine department at the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) told IANS, “Pollutants, like particulate matter PM 2.5 and PM 10, stick to the windpipe and lungs hindering proper respiration. Our immune system gets activated against these foreign objects which results in inflammation. In this fight between foreign objects and our immune system, remodelling of our airways takes place which, in the long run, may lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), cancer, asthma and other respiratory tract problems.”

He said that there was a definite increase in COPD patients. Air pollution, dryness in the air and seasonal shifts are contributing to the growth of virus and bacteria in our respiratory tract, he added.

Dr Ajay Tripathi director of the Lok Bandhu Raj Narain Hospital told IANS doctors have found a considerable rise in the number of respiratory patients just after Diwali.

“From an average of nearly 70 patients a day, the number has gone up to 90 patients a day. Most of these patients already have comorbid conditions,” he said.

At TB hospital in Thakurganj, the average number of patients has gone up from an average of 30 to 45. “Most patients complain of breathlessness and burning sensation in the eyes in the morning and evenings. Not only elderly patients, but middle-aged and young people are also visiting us with this problem,” said hospital director Dr Anand Gupta.

Dr Manish Shukla, medical superintendent at the BRD Hospital in Mahanagar, said, “Every year we see a surge in the patients of COPD, asthma and bronchitis because of pollution and season change, especially after Diwali. The trend is increasing with each passing year and is particularly high this year.”

With inputs from IANS.

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