4 in 10 families had someone consulting a doctor in last 3 weeks, finds new Delhi pollution survey

Air Pollution: Four in ten families in Delhi-NCR have had someone visiting a doctor or a hospital for a pollution-related health ailment in last three weeks, a latest survey has found.

About half of respondent families in the survey said that they had purchased one or more medicines or devices for pollution-related ailments in the same period, according to the study.

The findings of the survey come on a day when the national capital's air quality continued to be in the ‘very poor’ category on Monday morning, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

"In order to study the air quality in Delhi-NCR, we conducted a new survey to find out how those who reside in the national capital and surrounding cities during Diwali are coping with their pollution related health ailments and if they have visited a doctor/hospital or bought medicines," read the findings of survey by Local Circles, a community social media platform. 

The survey findings were revealed on November 11.

A similar study by LocalCircles in October had revealed that 3 in 10 Delhi NCR residents surveyed were having health issues due to high levels of air pollution.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Courtof India observed that the right to health is a fundamental right of citizens and that no religion encourages pollution.

“The right to live in a pollution-free atmosphere is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. Prima facie, we are of the view that no religion promotes any activity that promotes pollution or compromises the health of the people,” the Supreme Court said in a matter related to Delhi's air quality,legal news website Live Law reported.

The fresh survey received over 21,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. 61 per cent respondents were men while 39 per cent respondents were women.

The survey also found that 33 percent families in Delhi-NCR surveyed say had purchased cough syrup in the last 3 weeks while 20 per cent purchased paracetamol and 13 per cent families purchased items like inhaler or nebuliser.

The survey highlights that impact of high air pollution is quite widespread and the need for authorities to take strict measures on the ground against those who violate the norms of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in place, a note by LicalCircles said.

'EV as a service' to curb pollution

The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi has introduced a slew of measures to keep pollution in check, with the EV rally being the latest. On Sunday, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar flagged off the 'EV as a Service' event.

The ‘EV as a Service’ programme is designed to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles as a more sustainable alternative to conventional cars. Manohar Lal Khattar participated in the event by riding a bicycle and a tractor, highlighting the government's eco-friendly initiatives, reported ANI.