Hyderabad Air: Automobile pollution in Hyderabad has assumed enormous proportions if lung infections among APSRTC city bus drivers are any indication. A large percentage of city bus drivers suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Automobile pollution in twin cities has assumed
enormous proportions if lung infections among APSRTC city bus drivers
are any indication. A large percentage of city bus drivers suffer from
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Pulmonologists from Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad,
conducted a research study on the health of APSRTC city bus drivers.
They chose only those drivers, who do not have a history of smoking.
The buses they drive are ordinary vehicles with open windows. They
found that about 40 per cent of city bus drivers covered under the
study had COPD.

The health of APSRTC city bus drivers is indicative of the general
health of citizens, who spend long hours outside, and commuters, who
travel long distances daily. Exposure to automobile pollution for long
hours results in allergic reactions including COPD and other lung
issues.

“Hyderabad has a high percentage of total suspended particular matter
(TSPM), which often touches 400 mg/cubic metre of air. The average
TSPM for twin cities is about 280 mg/cubic metre of air. Half of this
TSPM comes from vehicular pollution,” the Shadan team pointed out in a
presentation at the just-concluded international scientific conference
of the World Allergy Organisation here.

The research team comprised Dr Mohammed Faisal, Dr Prasad Eswara
Chelluri, Dr Saikrishna Singaraju, Dr Jayasri Helen Gali and Dr Sayeed
Ahmed.

The team found COPD in 35 out of 82 (42.6 per cent) drivers under
study. The incidence of COPD was “mild” in 16 drivers (45 per cent),
“moderate “in 18 (51.4 per cent) and “severe” in one (2.8 per cent).

Thirteen of 30 drivers had been suffering from COPD for more than10
years. Twenty-two of 52 drivers with work experience of less than 0
years had COPD. Shortness of breath was noticed in 35 drivers, cough
in 12 (14.6 per cent), morning sputum in 15 (18 per cent), wheeze in
six and recurrent sinusitis in seven (8 per cent).

Patancheru and its surrounding areas in Hyderabad are well known for soil and water pollution, but what is shocking is that the contamination level of poisonous arsenic has touched 50,000 parts per billion (ppb) in certain pockets

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Patancheru and its surrounding areas in Hyderabad
are well known for soil and water pollution, but what is shocking is
that the contamination level of poisonous arsenic has touched 50,000
parts per billion (ppb) in certain pockets. This is 1000 times more
than the maximum permissible level of 50 ppb for arsenic fixed by the
World Health Organisation.

Analysis of water and soil samples of Patancheru and nearby villages
collected by Environmental Information System (Envis) Centre in
Biogeochemistry, School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru
University (JNU), Delhi, showed that arsenic levels ranged between 50
ppb and 50,000 ppb. Water flowing in the Peddavagu and Nakkavagu
drains that empty into the Manjira River has arsenic level of 5,000
ppb, 100 times more than the WHO limit. Manjira is one of the sources
of drinking water for people living in Hyderabad.

A separate study by the Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad,
and Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA,
revealed that arsenic in water consumed by residents of nearby
Bandlaguda may be associated with both non-cancer and cancer risks.
“Our results illustrate potential non-cancer and cancer risks
associated with ingestion of arsenic-contaminated water and thus the
urgent need for affordable, energy-efficient filtration options to
ensure safe drinking water for this and similar communities,” pointed
out researchers Raghupathy Anchala and Aneena S Pokkamthanam.

The JNU team drew up a geochemical map for Patancheru and Bolaram
areas. The map revealed arsenic pollution in surface as well as ground
water. The value of arsenic in stream water near the common effluent
treatment plant in Patancheru is as high as 40,000 ppb. At a few
locations, it touched 50,000 ppb.

Arsenic pollution spreads fast through the soil and ground water as it
forms complexes with organic acids. Such complex compounds help in the
fast migration of pollutants through the soil and aquifers, the JNU
team noted.

Ground water samples from Bandlaguda, Muthangi, Patelgudem and nearby
villages too are contaminated with wells showing 750 ppb of arsenic,
which is 15 times more than the WHO permissible limits. “Arsenic
present in Peddavagu migrates vertically and horizontally and
contaminates the ground water in the wells of adjoining villages which
is indicated by the high values of arsenic in well water,” the study
said.

The team also found that the effluent treatment plant does not clean
heavy metals, but concentrates more on parametres like chemical oxygen
demand, biological oxygen demand and total dissolved solids. “Once the
aquifer is contaminated, it is very difficult, if not impossible to
clean it. The well water in some of the villages is not suitable for
drinking or agriculture purpose due to high concentration of arsenic
and some other toxic metals,” the JNU team warned.

Pollution by fly ash: Vijayawada outskirts faced with the problem of highly radioactive isotopes of Radon 226, Thorium 228 and Potassium 40

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: People living within a radius of 10 km from
Vijayawada Thermal Power Station are exposed to highly radioactive
isotopes of Radon (R 226), Thorium (Th 228) and Potassium (K40) and
heavy metals like lead, mercury and cadmium.

Latest research studies on ground water and soil samples collected
from habitation within a radius of 10 km of the fly ash pond of the
thermal power station revealed that a cocktail of dangerous
radionuclides and heavy metals makes its way into the soil and the
ground water table. The Krishna River, which flows in the vicinity,
also carries a portion of these harmful substances downstream. The
VTPS is now in search of a new pond to pump in fly ash as the existing
pond is almost filled to the brim.

Harmful substances like sodium, sulphates, arsenic, selenium,
molybdenum, chromium and lead are found in higher quantities in areas
affected by fly ash pollution than in non-polluted places. Some of
these substances exceed the safe upper limit prescribed by the World
Health Organisation. There was leaching of zinc, lead, and iron from
the VTPS ash pond into the ground water. The problem gets worse during
rainy season when the leaching of ions is relatively higher due to
ground water recharge.

“Water samples within a distance of 10 km around the thermal power
station showed an increase in total dissolved solids, calcium
hardness, magnesium, total hardness, chlorides and alkalinity. These
substances also made their way to plants through a process called
bio-accumulation,” points out a research study conducted by the Centre
for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
The energy and wetlands research group of the CES conducted studies on
various thermal power plants in the country including VTPS.

The CES researchers said leachate from fly ash ponds into the ground
water table has genotoxic potential and may lead to adverse effects on
vegetation and on the health of exposed human populations. They damage
the delicate DNA in the blood cells. Damage to DNA was also observed
in plants.

Studies near the VTPS fly ash dumpsites showed the contamination
increased in the case of toxic ions with the passage of time. The fly
ash, a waste product obtained from coal burning in thermal power
stations, also contains substances like polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, which cause cancer in human beings. The radionuclides of
radon, thorium and radioactive potassium were found to be in the range
of 40.7 to 151.7 Becquerel per kilogram, 96.2 to 177.7 and 148 to 840
Becquerel per Kg respectively. This is quite higher than the
permissible limits.

Nuclear pollution of ground water:Water in Chittoor villages polluted with high concentrations of uranium

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: After Nalgonda, it is now Chittoor. Drinking and
ground water in the high profile Chittoor district is polluted with
high concentrations of uranium, 135 times more than the permissible
limits fixed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Research studies in Vagalla and nearby villages in Chittoor district
revealed that drinking and well waters contain as much as 2700
nanograms per millitre, as against the permissible limit of 20 ng/mL.
The Geological Survey of India, Hyderabad and Kolkata units, collected
water samples from Vagalla and surrounding villages after it was found
that the area is a potential source for uranium search. Moreover, some
of the villagers had health problems.

Analysis of the water samples revealed the presence of a number of
contaminants in quantities far exceeding the permissible limits.
Besides uranium, the researchers found high concentrations of nitrate
up to 1810 micrograms per millitre (permissible limit is 45 micrograms
per ml), fluoride up to 3 micrograms per ml (permissible limit 1.5
microgram per ml), strontium 1409 nanograms per millitre (limit 1000
ng/ml) and manganese 1211 ng/mL (limit 300 ng/mL).

Chittoor is the second district in Andhra Pradesh after Nalgonda where
drinking and underground water is contaminated by radioactive uranium.
Earlier studies have shown that water drawn from Nalgonda district
(Nagarjunasagar dam) to Hyderabad is also contaminated with
radioactive uranium.

The city-based Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) too conducted surveys
at Lakkireddipalle near Vagalla village to find out if there were any
uranium resources. The presence of high concentrations of uranium in
drinking water reveals that the area is sitting on uranium resources,
as is the case with Nalgonda.

Eminent neurologist Dr D Raja Reddy of Apollo Hospitals, who was part
of the GSI study team, told this correspondent that they had found
about a dozen elements including uranium in drinking and well waters
in Vagalla and nearby areas. “The GSI took up the research to find out
if extraction of uranium was economically viable,” he said adding that
high concentration of uranium in drinking water could lead to
congenital health issues.

The other members of the study team were GSI scientists Chebrolu Rama
Mohan Rao, Gudumotu Vijaya Babu and Chennuri Durga Rao. Their findings
were published in the latest issue of the Journal of Applied
Geochemistry.

The AMD in its survey found minerals like syenite and pegmatite, which
contain high amount of rare earth elements and trace element
concentrations. Commenting on the AMD’s study, the GSI team pointed
out that the high anomaly in many elements offers scope for detailed
geochemical sampling for both economic and societal points of view as
“there is some health problems associated with the inhabitants”.

Some villages of Chittoor district form part of Dharwar Craton under
Cuddapah Basin famous for granitic rocks with minerals like
megmatites, amphibolite and metapelites trapped in them.

“Systematic sampling of bore and open well water samples have been
carried out to find out the source of high concentrations of uranium
in about 99 water samples collected in and around Vagalla,” the GSI
team said in their research publication.

Unchecked industrial pollution coupled with peculiar geographical location has exposed the port city of Visakhapatnam to significant dosage of harmful radionuclides of uranium, thorium, radium and potassium

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Unchecked industrial pollution coupled with peculiar
geographical location has exposed the port city of Visakhapatnam to
significant dosage of harmful radionuclides of uranium, thorium,
radium and potassium.

Though some of these radionuclides are present in higher quantities
than those found in other major coastal cities in the world,
scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, play
it down saying they pose no radiological hazard. The concentration of
radium 226 in Visakhapatnam ranged between 11 and 57 Becquerel per
kilogram (Bq/Kg) as against the worldwide average of 25 Bq/Kg. Its
concentration in the Indian Ocean is 13.8 Bq/Kg while it ranged
between 13.9 and 25.2 Bq/Kg in the Bay of Bengal.

The Environmental Assessment Division of BARC collected about 10
samples of surface sediments from the sea in Visakhapatnam. It
analysed the samples for radioactivity levels including the annual
exposure to people. The study was aimed at establishing the baseline
data for the marine environment of Visakhapatnam, where BARC is
setting up a research nuclear reactor.

The current data will help nuclear scientists and environmentalists to
know whether the radiation exposure level has gone up once the test
reactor becomes operational. Incidentally, Visakhapatnam is also the
home to a nuclear submarine. A number of new industries are planned in
the city outskirts. Local of nuclear reactors and polluting industries
near water bodies increase the chances of contamination by many times.

The presence of radioactive material in the marine sediments in the
city is partly due to the geographical terrain. Industrial pollution
also contributed to the problem. The concentration of Uranium 238
ranged from 19 to 48 Bq/Kg, Thorium from 31 to 145 Bq/Kg and
radioactive Potassium from 363 to 1,024 Bq/Kg. “These values are in
general higher than the global averages,” the BARC team said in its
research study published in the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear
Chemistry.

Visakhapatnam abounds in granitic rocks containing uranium, thorium
and radioactive potassium. The BARC team allayed the fears saying
radiological hazard is below the internationally accepted values.
However, the annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) for Visakhapatnam
is between 0.1 and 0.2 mSv (millisievert) per year. This is more than
300 times higher than the global average of 70 microsievert per year.

Visakhapatnam is now faced with the twin problem of groundwater pollution by industries and seawater intrusion, making bore well and open well water unfit for human consumption

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Visakhapatnam is now faced with the twin problem of
groundwater pollution by industries and seawater intrusion, making
bore well and open well water unfit for human consumption. The problem
is more pronounced in the industrial belt with hardness of water and
chemical contamination exceeding the permissible limits set by the
World Health Organisation.

Visakhapatnam does not have a perennial source of fresh water supply
and thus many residents depend on ground water for domestic needs.
Given the nature of the terrain of the city, the ground water is
contaminated by industrial pollution and seawater intrusion landwards.
This has only increased the hardness of water.

Analysis of water samples collected from different localities in and
around the industrial zone by a team of researchers from the
department of environmental studies, Gitam University, Visakhapatnam,
revealed that the ground water failed to quality international and
national standards with regard to hardness and pH value, and presence
of chemicals like chlorides, nitrates, sulphates and iron. The
department of environmental studies of Acharya Nagarjuna University,
Guntur, also participated in the research work. The study did not
include heavy metal contamination.

The study revealed that the problem of ground water pollution was
further compounded, as many industries are located in the upwind
direction of the city. This also contributes to atmospheric pollution
with the wind blowing towards the city. Three-fourths of the fresh
water supplied to the city is returned as sewage and industrial
effluent into the sea or underground. Though industries consume less
quantity of water, the pollution they cause is quite high.

The research team comprised Shaik Rameeza, VNV Srikant, D Mallikarjuna
Rao, and Ch Ramakrishna. According to the researchers, the diseases
caused by contaminated ground water have emerged as a serious public
health problem. It has already reached “alarming levels”.

The study revealed that the pH value ranged from 6.4 to 8.5, which
makes it slightly alkaline. A little increase in the pH may lead to
corrosion of household and bathroom fittings. The chloride content,
which should ideally be 5 mg per litre, was up to 400 mg per litre in
some samples. Suspended solids were in the range of 1180 mg per litre
to 2300 mg per litre.

The water samples had high concentration of iron, which results in
adverse health conditions in people using the water. As against the
maximum permissible limit of 0.1 mg per litre, water samples had as
high as 8.4 mg per litre. “Excess of nitrates makes water poisonous
for pregnant and nursing women. It also leads to the blue baby
syndrome in children below six months of age. Sulphates concentration
beyond permissible limit leads to dehydration and diarrhoea,” the
researchers warned.

Save Our Urban Lakes Network: It is high time the beautiful lakes of Hyderabad got the attention they deserved

Soul Network: What happened to the Hyderabad city lakes?

By Syed Akbar

The water bodies in Hyderabad are dying fast thanks to lack of proper scientific conservation measures. Weak regulations, monitoring and enforcement laws have put the lakes of Hyderabad under immense ecological stress, argues the Save Our Urban Lakes (Soul) Network.

The SOUL has come out with some startling facts and figures about the fast dying lakes of Hyderabad and calls upon people and authorities concerned alike to conserve the water bodies. The Soul gave a presentation at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which is holding its 11th Conference of Parties in Hyderabad.

"Hyderabad, once known as a City of lakes, may soon be water stressed. Water bodies of the city are shrinking in their size, degrading, and many-a-times “disappearing” entirely with serious consequences for local bio diversity and water security of the city – particularly the ordinary citizens who cannot access “expensive” water from private companies and water tanker mafia," the SOUL points out,

While the official estimate of lakes in the City was more than 1000 - a recent estimate puts this number around 500. However reliable estimate of how many of the 500 lakes still exist is not available. As a result, negative consequences are evident in the continuing intensity of water crisis experienced by the citizens, which is only going to aggravate in the coming years. Below key issues that confront the city of lakes are noted.

Referring to encroachments, the SOUL Network says due to weak regulations, monitoring, enforcement of laws, water bodies are available for encroachment by the elite and powerful. This often has support of governance agencies. For example, several orders were passed legalizing conversion of a water body for construction. Land “generated”-- a decline in the number of lakes has added for other uses. The land “generated” by the vanishing lakes has been put to multiple uses, including, building real estate, recreational spaces such as parks, burial ground and so on. This process of “landisation” very often enjoys official sanction.

Emphasing the need to make lakes free of pollution, it said domestic sewerage, Industrial pollutants, and unregulated growth is causing pollution of both surface and groundwater. The outburst of urbanisation without commensurate development of drainage/sewerage on the one hand, and drinking water supplies on the other are compounding the problem. While the demand for water consumption shortfall is filled by tapping groundwater.

"The waste water that is generated finds it way in to the surface water bodies – rivers, nallas, and lakes. Most lakes have been converted into cesspools that contain not only pathogens of domestic sewerage, but also deadly cocktail of carcinogen elements carried through industrial effluents. STPs, and CETP handle negligible amount of liquid waste and that too in ineffectively. Untreated wastewater (UWW) is extensively used for agriculture around the Musi river. This practice allows the pollutants to enter the food chain".

Fresh, clean and pure rainwater combines with the polluted surface water bodies to increase the quantity of polluted water. This accentuates the quantity of polluted water that requires treatment. This inability to separate the storm water and the drainage water reduces the availability of fresh water on the one hand. At the same time it increases the quantity of polluted water with consequent requirements for additional treatment.

Water bodies in the city were scattered in the landscape in order to receive the storm water drainage from surrounding areas. Growing urbanization has led to obstructions in the path of water trying to reach the lowest point, i.e. the water body. This mechanism of annual rejuvenation of the water body has been disrupted and is partly responsible for drying of the lakes.

Here are some issues raised by SOUL Network, Hyderabad 

  

Urban Floods

The water bodies scattered across the city acted as natural bowls for holding water in case of excessive rainfall. Shrinkage of the water holding capacity due to “landisation” (noted above) has led to increased incidence of urban floods that are caused even during a short heavy downpour. Additionally, while urban floods were formerly around the banks of the rivers, destruction of the water bodies has led to disbursed urban floods in most low lying areas of the city. Incidence of urban flooding has become frequent and localized.

Droughts

A critical function of a water body during hot weather conditions is to recharge the groundwater, lower surrounding temperatures, and provide buffer of stock of water. Destruction of water bodies has intensified water scarcity. The situation is further aggravated by the pollution of the groundwater when polluted surface water seeps or permeates below thereby reducing availability of freshwater.

Legal Peculiarities

There is no legal recognition of the water surface in the laws of the state. What counts as legally valid in the court of law is the land underlying the water surface, which creates problems for legally safeguarding spread of water surface.

Institutional Fragmentation

Multiple government departments impinge on different aspects of the lake. For example, the embankment, the water surface, the maintenance is handled by separate different departments. Legal control is exercised by a separate agency -- the revenue department.

This presents challenges for coordinated monitoring, regulating, maintenance, and accountability for the water body.

Piecemeal Approach to Hydrological Cycles

The planning of water sanitation of the city is entirely disconnected from the problematic of urban water bodies. Such a conceptualization abstracts from the natural hydrological cycles that emphasizes inherent connectivity between natural water availability and its utilization by the urban community. Planning, policy, and projects for urban water sanitation are executed independent of strategic approach to protection of water bodies.

Violation of Knowledge Commons

Wisdom accumulated by experiential learning on the water commons is being lost. The system of interconnected water bodies in the city was established with a conscious objective of arresting water at a local level, and to allow surplus water to drain in to the subsequent water body and so on -- ultimately reaching the river. Such an arrangement not only prevented floods at the local level, but also allowed water bodies to be recharged to their full capacity.  The latter ensured water security during dry months. This was a novel mechanism to provide an insurance against both droughts and floods. The social wisdom that was manifested in these time tested measures is on its way to destruction.

Inequity and Privatization

The destruction of water bodies is accompanied by private appropriation of the public commons thereby excluding access to these public resources by the ordinary citizens.

Secondly, the excluded are more vulnerable to risks of water scarcity and urban floods.

Accountability and Apathy

Of the governance structure remains appalling. Violation of laws for protection of water bodies is seldom punished. Very often such violation aided, abetted, and condoned by the governing agencies. Finally, the governance agencies very often directly contribute to destruction of the water bodies.

Private Citizen Fallibility

Absence of a regulatory mechanism for protection of water bodies encourages / allows abuse a water body with impunity. Habituated individuals modes of public behavior are a serious impediment are major cause for damaging water bodies.

Lake Protection Committee (LPC) 2010

LPC is the most recent initiative at an institutional level established in 2010 under pressure from the judiciary. It had so far held 5-6 meetings with little consequence for ground level action. Many lakes highlighted as achievements of rehabilitation by the LPC are lying in a state of decay and degradation- such as Saroornagar lake and Safilguda lake.

How polluted is the Hussainsagar lake in Hyderabad? The lake bed as well as surface water is highly polluted

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad:  Everyone knows that Hussainsagar surface water is
polluted but what many do not know is that the bed of the historic
lake too is highly polluted making it environmentally poisonous for
aquatic life and birds.

City researchers Prof M Vikram Reddy and Dr A Vijay Kumar collected
samples of Hussainsagar water and its sediment and conducted analysis
for harmful elements before and after the Ganesh immersion ceremony.
The surface water of the lake is less polluted as compared to its bed
surface.

They found that the pH, which determines the quality of water, has
increased to 8.35 (alkaline) after immersion of Ganesh idols from 7.40
before immersion. The electric conductivity has almost doubled from
2.535 to 4.750 while the total dissolved solids increased from 1534 to
2695 mg/l.

The concentration of chlorides increased from 25.50 mg per litre to
73.15 mg/l, while the content of lead went up from 0.376 to 0.575
mg/l. Similarly, manganese concentration went up from 18.50 mg/l to
24.56. Nitrogen concentration increased from 5.23 mg/l to 18.56.

"About 20,000 tonnes of plaster of Paris and coloured chemicals, 300
tonnes of iron and 100 tonnes of wooden planks are immersed in the
lake every year. The immersion of thousands of multi-coloured idols of
various sizes have significant effect altering the water quality of
the lake," said Dr A Vijay Kumar.

The content of calcium, iron, magnesium, molybdenum and silicon in the
surface water of the lake exceeds the standards fixed by the BIS and
ICMR. The concentration of most of these elements in several orders of
magnitude is higher in the bottom sediment of the littoral zone of the
lake than in the overlying surface water.

The team noticed that some elements like chromium, cobalt, nickel,
copper, zinc, cadmium, lithium, boron and selenium have vanished and
the concentration of manganese and sulphur dropped considerably from
the surface water following Ganesh idol immersion. The disappearance
of these elements following idol immersion can be attributed to the
absorption processes of the dissolved metal oxides metal ions by the
materials, particularly the coloured chemical hydrous metal oxides
used in paintings, varnishes and water colours on the idols.

"We have recorded significantly higher concentrations of all these
elements in the surface sediment of the lake compared to that of
surface water. Japan Bank for International Cooperation has consented
to fund cleaning of the lake. But, it is foolish to think about the
purification of water when we continue to pollute them knowingly," he
pointed out.

Kitchen smoke major killer of infants in Andhra Pradesh

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Smoke from kitchen is contributing to high child and infant mortality rate in Andhra Pradesh.
According to a World Bank-sponsored study on the impact of solid biomass fuels like wood, dung and crop residues on the health of people, particularly in rural areas, smoke from conventional kitchen is found to be a contributory factor in high child and infant mortality rate in the State. Andhra Pradesh has a child mortality rate of 62 per 1000 and infant mortality rate of 70 per 1000 live births. As many as 44 infants die in the State within a month of being born. Though the mortality rate in Andhra Pradesh is below the national average, it certainly is the poor performer in South India.
The study was conducted among other institutions by the city-based Institute of Health Systems. It was found during the course of the study that over 80 per cent of people in villages still depend on biomass fuels as against non-polluting fossil fuels. Strangely enough, 24 per cent of households in urban areas too depend on wood, dung and waste from crops. Poor ventilation in many houses has added to the problem of indoor air pollution from kitchen.
"This situation leads to some of the highest-ever recorded levels of air pollution to which young children and women are exposed daily for many hours," the report points out. The study has strengthened evidence that children under five years suffer from high levels of exposures to indoor air pollution on a daily basis and this explains for one of the high rates of child and infant mortality.
Indoor air pollution is the third most risk factor threatening human health in the country and the problem is found to be relatively higher in the State. Indoor air pollution contributing to about 20 lakh premature deaths every year in the country and a majority of victims being below the age of five years. "There is also strong evidence of impact on women, up to 34,000 deaths resulting from chronic obstructive disorders," the report pointed out.
As part of the study as many as 412 households were surveyed and of them 270 families used wood and 97 families buffalo and cow dung as fuel. Only a few families in rural areas used fossil fuels like LPG and kerosene.
The average 24-hour exposures to RSPM were the highest amongst women in families which used biomass fuels for cooking. Even older women, above 60 years who generally do not cook food, and children, who mostly play outside the houses, are also exposed to the high levels of RSPM.
However, children are three to four times less exposed to high levels of RSPM in households where fossil fuels are used.
"Indoor air pollution punishes young children twice. First by making them ill and secondly by making their mothers ill, thus reducing the mother’s ability to take care of the children", the report pointed out.

Pollution leading to hearing disability in new born babies

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Environmental factors including increasing pollution levels are contributing to hearing disability in new born babies.
A study by a group of city researchers reveals that while genetic factors contribute to 50 per cent of deaf cases in new born babies, 40 per cent of the cases are related to environmental factors like pollution.
The incidence of hearing disability is two to three per 1000 live births in India and one per 1000 babies is profoundly deaf at birth or in the prelingual (stage of learning language) childhood period.
As against these pre-natal (before birth) factors, post-natal (after birth) infection of the ear (otitis media) is responsible for 11.71 per cent cases of deafness in children while head injuries contribute to just 4.83 per of the cases. The study was conducted by the Institute of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases and the Department of ENT, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad.
The factors responsible for infection of the middle ear include poor hygiene, lack of breast feeding, poor nutrition and inadequate healthcare. "Proper care during birth and proper monitoring after birth of the child is required to prevent adverse postnatal conditions leading to direct hearing loss or indirect disease related sensorineural hearing loss that can cause permanent disability in survivors of adverse perinatal conditions," the study pointed out.
As many as 1076 children below 14 years of age with congenital hearing impairment formed the study group.

And now pollution extends to seas

August 13, 2007
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Aug 12: After playing havoc on land, pollution has now extended its fangs to the sea, killing scores of oceanic species including fish. Water quality in the entire sea coast in the State from Srikakulam to Nellore districts, particularly between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, is badly affected upsetting the delicate marine ecology.
According to a study by the National Institute of Oceanography and a report by the city-based Environment Protection Training and Research Institute, the impact of anthropogenic or human interference, agricultural effluents and industrial wastes have led to deterioration of water quality, causing mass mortality of fish due to asphyxiation. It has also caused harmful plankton to grow in large numbers reducing the oxygen content in sea water.
"The coastal environment is being altered at ever-increasing rates, often without looking ahead at future consequences. This is due to a multitude of human activities. The coastal zone receives a vast quantity of sewage waste, dredge spoils, industrial effluents and river runoff. These markedly affect the composition and quality of coastal environment, causing marine pollution," points out the EPTRI report.
Bay of Bengal has a unique feature in that its water is always balanced. But pollution along the coast has affected even this well-balanced system. The total precipitation over the bay which exceeds evaporation by about 1500 cubic metres and the discharge of over 2000 cubic km of fresh water per annum from major river systems from the adjoining countries lead to a positive water balance in the Bay of Bengal.
Visakhapatnam harbour and Kakinada Bay are emerging as hotspot areas in the Andhra coast. Besides industrial and domestic wastes, port-related operations in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada and intensive aqua culture along the coast are the potential sources of coastal pollution.
Industrial units discharge effluents to the extent of 77.76 crore metres cube per day into inner harbour in Visakhaptnam along with a part of the domestic sewage (2.43 crore metres cube per day).
The land-locked nature of inner harbour its connection to the open sea through entrance channel and the outer harbour, inhibits to a significant extent, the circulation and tidal flushing of anthropogenic inputs into the open sea.
Some of the important observations in the studies include mass mortality of fish believed to be due to asphyxiation, periodic outbursts of blooms (harmful plankton) and near eutrophication conditions due to accumulation of high levels of nutrients and organic matter compiled with inadequate tidal flushing.
In addition, high levels of chlorophyll, primary production, particulate organic carbon, dissolved and particulate trace metals were observed in inner Vizag harbour. Rapid changes in composition and taxonomic diversity of phytoplankton, species diversity and zoonplankton and benthic fauna abundance, high pollution load indices were also reported in the inner harbour.
There were periodic outbursts of phytoplakton, notably Skelatonama Costatum and other species, leading to high values of chlorophyll and dissolved oxygen. Benthic conditions have also changed and only certain pollution tolerant species (Capitalla capitata) inhabited the bottom sediments that contained a heavy load of organic matter.
According to the report, increased pollution in the harbour led to the disappearance of stenoecious species and their replacement with other forms known for their tolerance to pollution.
Pollution load index in terms of trace metals in the inner channels of Visakhapatnam harbour are considered to be highly polluted while Kakinada bay is considered to be moderately polluted zone. Visakhaptnam region is dominated by industrial and domestic discharges while the Godavari and Kalingapatnam regions are influenced by agriculture and anthropogenic inputs from the adjacent river runoff.

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, May 17: Hyderabad sits on carbon monoxide poisoning, a highly
dangerous gas that was once used by kings to execute people.
The average peak level of carbon monoxide or simply CO in the city
atmosphere for the months of January, February, March and April was 18 mg
per cubic metre per hour as against the standard level of 4 mg/cm and
permissible level of 12 mg/cm.
Worse is the case with high traffic areas like Panjagutta where the peak CO
level for the first four months of this year was 26 mg/cm, according to AP
Pollution Control Board ambient air quality studies. The recordings were as
high as 23 mg/cm in Paradise and Charminar and as low as nine mg/cm in
green areas like Nehru Zoological Park and Kasu Brahmananda Reddy
National Park.
City doctors link high incidence of breathing-related problems, nausea and
convulsions among Hyderabadis to constant exposure to vehicular CO
emissions. Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas known to man as
early as 300 years before the birth of Christ and it has emerged as the
single
largest cause of accidentally poisoning among Americans. Increasing number
of vehicles and frequent traffic snarls have turned Hyderabad as one of the
few cities in the country with high CO exposure rates.
"Carbon monoxide can lead to respiratory chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and allergic bronchitis. It can even lead to death in case of heavy
exposures. At low levels, CO leads to reduced oxygenation which may cause
forgetfulness, fatigue and insomnia. We have been receiving many such cases
of late," says Dr A Raghu, consultant physician at Apollo DRDO Hospital.
This gas has the tendency to freely mix with the blood stream leading to the
formation of carboxyl haemoglobin.
The danger from this gas can be gauged from the fact that haemoglobin
prefers CO to oxygen. The haemoglobin molecule likes to take 200 times
more CO than oxygen, he points out adding that the high levels of CO
concentration in Hyderabad atmosphere will prove disastrous to the health of
the people in the long run.
Though 2.5 per cent carboxyl haemoglobin (at a CO limit of 30 mg/cm for
one hour) is recognised as definitely harmful to health, experts around the
world have now set a standard limit of one per cent carboxyl haemoglobin
(12 mg/cm for one hour). This means in Hyderabad the peak CO level is
more than twice the standard limit.
Senior pulmonologist Dr Pradyut Waghray attributes the high levels of CO in
Hyderabad to fumes from industries and exhaust from diesel vehicles.
"Respiratory cells get affected by carbon monoxide. It also hits RBCs and
reduces oxygen carrying capacity of the blood," he says adding that constant
exposure leads to chronic persistent respiratory asthma.

Hyderabad sits on carbon monoxide poisoning

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, May 17: Hyderabad sits on carbon monoxide poisoning, a highly dangerous gas that was once used by kings to execute people.
The average peak level of carbon monoxide or simply CO in the city atmosphere for the months of January, February, March and April was 18 mg per cubic metre per hour as against the standard level of 4 mg/cm and permissible level of 12 mg/cm.
Worse is the case with high traffic areas like Panjagutta where the peak CO level for the first four months of this year was 26 mg/cm, according to AP Pollution Control Board ambient air quality studies. The recordings were as high as 23 mg/cm in Paradise and Charminar and as low as nine mg/cm in green areas like Nehru Zoological Park and Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park.
City doctors link high incidence of breathing-related problems, nausea and convulsions among Hyderabadis to constant exposure to vehicular CO emissions. Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas known to man as early as 300 years before the birth of Christ and it has emerged as the single largest cause of accidentally poisoning among Americans. Increasing number of vehicles and frequent traffic snarls have turned Hyderabad as one of the few cities in the country with high CO exposure rates.
"Carbon monoxide can lead to respiratory chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and allergic bronchitis. It can even lead to death in case of heavy exposures. At low levels, CO leads to reduced oxygenation which may cause forgetfulness, fatigue and insomnia. We have been receiving many such cases of late," says Dr A Raghu, consultant physician at Apollo DRDO Hospital.
This gas has the tendency to freely mix with the blood stream leading to the formation of carboxyl haemoglobin.
The danger from this gas can be gauged from the fact that haemoglobin prefers CO to oxygen. The haemoglobin molecule likes to take 200 times more CO than oxygen, he points out adding that the high levels of CO concentration in Hyderabad atmosphere will prove disastrous to the health of the people in the long run.
Though 2.5 per cent carboxyl haemoglobin (at a CO limit of 30 mg/cm for one hour) is recognised as definitely harmful to health, experts around the world have now set a standard limit of one per cent carboxyl haemoglobin (12 mg/cm for one hour). This means in Hyderabad the peak CO level is more than twice the standard limit.
Senior pulmonologist Dr Pradyut Waghray attributes the high levels of CO in Hyderabad to fumes from industries and exhaust from diesel vehicles. "Respiratory cells get affected by carbon monoxide. It also hits RBCs and reduces oxygen carrying capacity of the blood," he says adding that constant exposure leads to chronic persistent respiratory asthma.

A quarter of traffic police force in Hyderabad suffers from lung problems with high levels of carboxy haemoglobin in blood

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Dec 8: A quarter of traffic police force in the city suffers from 
lung problems with high levels of carboxy haemoglobin in blood thanks to 
constant exposure to ever-increasing vehicular pollution.
According to a research study carried out by AP Government General and 
Chest Hospital, police personnel who are on traffic duty are more prone to 
lung-related diseases than their counterparts in crime and law and order 
sections. The study was carried out on traffic cops and control group and a 
comparative analysis revealed that even non-smoking traffic policemen have 
relatively higher levels of carboxy haemoglobin levels in their blood.
As many as 659 traffic constables were subjected to pollution study and of 
them 175 found to be suffering from one or other lung ailment. Similar 
studies were also carried out on traffic police personnel in Vijayawada and 
Visakhapatnam.
Hyderabad is closely behind Delhi, the fourth largest polluted city in the 
world, both in terms of suspended particulate matter, lead toxicity and 
carbon monoxide levels in atmosphere. There has been a three-fold increase 
in pollution levels in Hyderabad since 2000. The led toxicity levels in blood 
is of the order of 20 to 24 mg per decilitre as against the permitted levels of 
10 micro grams per decilitre. The carbon monoxide levels often cross the 
permissible limits in Hyderabad and since traffic cops are exposed to 
constant air pollution they are more prone to lung diseases than other 
citizens.
When CPI-ML legislator Gummadi Narasiah raised the issue in the State 
Assembly on Thursday, Home Minister K Jana Reddy announced that traffic 
cops would be exposed to fresh oxygen in oxygen chambers to improve their 
blood quality and detoxify the effect of carbon monoxide. Narasaiah 
demanded that traffic cops be given medical reimbursement facility as they 
are forced to undergo expensive tests in private hospitals.
"Traffic police personnel are being given fresh oxygen once a week free of 
charge. Anti pollution nose masks have been distributed to all cops on traffic 
duty," the home minister said.