Sunday evening’s big fire at the Ghazipur landfill on Monday, which sent toxic plumes of smoke and pollution levels skywards, is not something new. Smaller fires keep breaking out frequently at the dump, leaving the area shrouded in smoke and stench.
These fires, fuelled by methane gas generated from decomposing waste at the site, as well as hot and dry conditions, spew out toxins that keep pollution levels at an all-time high in the Anand Vihar-Ghaziabad areas close by, resulting in health complications on which no data has been collected or researched so far.
There’s no doubt about the fact that the landfill is a health hazard. Simple statistics present a clear picture of the situation.
50 per cent rise
The number of patients coming to OPDs and emergencies has increased by almost 50% over the last five years, says Dr Ankit Bhatia, senior consultant in respiratory and pulmonary medicine at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Vaishali, Ghaziabad, which caters to patients within a 10-km radius that includes the landfill.
“Many of our older patients, known asthmatics, others with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic respiratory illnesses are reporting with more attacks, more complications,” he says.
Frequency of patient visits has increased, from six months or so to once a month.
Younger patients between the ages 25-35, most of them working in the corporate sector and are frequent travellers, are reporting throat infections, throat irritation and new onset asthma. “They did not have any allergic symptoms in the past, now they are coming with more allergies, especially respiratory allergies,” he adds.
The surge is evident. “Earlier I would see seven to eight patients in one OPD, now I see 15-20 in one go. Things have worsened,” he says.
Researchers have reported that long Covid impacts lungs. Could that have added to rise in patient inflow? The proportion of long Covid cases are very low, very few cases are being reported compared to two years post Covid, answers Dr Bhatia.
However, he feels more allergies develop in people who have had Covid.
But the higher number of patients coming in with complaints of breathlessness and cough (especially at night) is a cause for worry.
Recalling a previous emergency situation a year or two back when AQI levels crossed the “severe” category, Dr Bhatia says 30 to 40 patients with respiratory distress were reporting to the hospital every day.
In the current landfill fire scenario, he expects another surge. “Most of them would be our own patients currently being treated for respiratory illness and they might come with repeated attacks, but I foresee newer patients because of the acute pollution crisis." What could be reported predominantly is throat irritation, repeated coughing at night, and older patients and children coming in with breathing difficulties. As many people develop viral infections,
cases of fever could also be expected.
Action required
Immediately stopping the fire at source is a no-brainer to control pollution.
“It is the only way. The stakeholders might be working to find a solution to the problem, but we are failing to get the pollution levels down,” he says.
Dr Bhatia’s advice to people affected by the landfill fire is to prevent health complications by wearing N95 masks, not simple cotton ones.
Staying indoors, keeping doors and windows closed till the air clears would be somewhat better than spending time outdoors, inhaling toxic air.
Air purifiers are expensive, but do clean up indoor air.
Patients with asthma and other chronic lung problems should not forget to take their medication or their inhalers on time to cope with their illness.
Yes, says Dr Bhatia, people can make a difference by bringing down dependency on private vehicles, controlling how much garbage they generate, but it’s up to the media to ask questions and take authorities to task.
“Why should we elect governments if they can’t solve our problems? Look at other cities in the world. Their AQI levels are less than 10 or 20. Today, dangerous AQI of 150 or 200 is normalised over here, we are happy with it. This is not right, we are not asking questions. Our elders and children are suffering.”
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