The use of tobacco is widely understood as a risk factor for the development of lung cancer. However, in the National Capital Region (NCR), doctors report rising rates of lung cancer among non-smokers. “When I started operating on cancer patients in 1988, I found their lungs were pink,” Dr Arvind Kumar, chairman of the Centre […]
environment
Child health: How climate change will affect it
“A child born today will experience a world that is more than four degrees warmer than the pre-industrial average, with climate change impacting human health from infancy and adolescence to adulthood and old age,” reads a report published yesterday by The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change – lending a chilling insight into the […]
Eye health at risk in Delhi thanks to pollution
Pollution is associated with a plethora of detrimental health effects – and eye health is among the facets of wellbeing which take a hit when pollution levels are high. Delhi is currently grappling with a major pollution crisis, with air quality levels plummeting to the extent that a public health emergency was declared in the […]
Delhi takes action on air pollution amidst a health crisis
Mired in a public health crisis due to depleted air quality, Delhi is taking action on air pollution. “Immediate measures will be taken against the complaints received on Central Pollution Control Board portal [CPCB] or Sameer app [which provides updates on Air Quality Index (AQI) readings],” commented a senior official. Complaints registered with the CPCB […]
Surge in lung disease cases in Patna
Whilst much attention has been paid to air quality in Delhi, the issue is far from isolated to the Capital, affecting swathes of the country and blighting the health of millions. In Bihar state capital Patna, pollution is taking a significant toll on public health with the city witnessing a rise in lung disease cases. […]
Crop burning: Will it continue?
The practice of crop burning is among the drivers of the pollution crisis which has enveloped the National Capital Region (NCR) in India. However, even as the Supreme Court has taken a stringent line against it, will it continue? The practice of burning crop residue leads to between seven and eight million metric tonnes of […]
Delhi pollution: Supreme Court fumes as the city chokes
Delhi pollution has reached “unbearable” levels in the words of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, amidst plummeting air quality and the worst smog the National Capital Region has witnessed in almost three years. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi pollution – based on a 24-hour average – stood at 494 on the Air Quality […]
Supreme Court to hear on pollution Monday
As pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) reaches emergency proportions, the Supreme Court will hear a report on the issue prepared by the Environment (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). The Supreme Court constituted the EPCA to monitor air quality and effect improvements in the NCR. As the Air Quality Index (AQI) score for Delhi […]
Air quality plummets to emergency levels in Delhi
Air quality in the national capital has plummeted to emergency levels, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal once again likening the city to a ‘gas chamber’. In declaring the emergency, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) ordered that schools be shuttered in the National Capital Region (NCR), imposed a moratorium on construction activities, and […]
Dengue fever: More than 67,000 cases
India has reported more than 67,000 cases of dengue fever as of October 13th, according to data released by the Directorate of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). Of the 67,377 total cases reported, Karnataka bore the highest burden out of the country with 12,756 cases. It also accounted for eight of India’s […]