84% people affected by smog, says study

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 9

A team of doctors in Bathinda recently conducted a study to gauge the impact of stubble burning.

It concluded that more than 84 per cent of the respondents vouched for the fact that they were suffering from health-related issues due to smog.

Dr Vitull K Gupta, Dr Anil Goyal, Dr Tanvir Kaur Sidhu, Dr Meghna Gupta, Dr Arun K Maria and Dr Sonia Arora conducted a survey to identify the adverse health effects associated with stubble burning. The team of doctors adopted a questionnaire about the symptoms related to the air pollution episode and translated it in the local language. People above the age of 12 years were interviewed to fill up the questionnaire after taking their verbal consent. Results were calculated and analysed on the percentage scale.

The survey involved 8,573 persons and it showed that 84.5 per cent of them were suffering from diseases because of smoke. Those living in rural areas have experienced more symptoms as compared to those living in urban areas.

The team of doctors concluded that stubble burning was causing air pollution, which is at an alarming level and adversely affecting the health of people.

Dr Vitull K Gupta, author of the study, said, “A study carried out by Punjab Remote Sensing Institute by using satellites shows that the state’s farmers burn roughly 150 lakh tonnes of their paddy straw in every season. Crop residue and biomass burning (forest fires) are considered as a major source of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and halogen compounds.”

“On being burnt, one ton of straw releases about three kg of particulate matter, 60 kg of carbon monoxide, 1,460 kg of carbon dioxide, 199 kg of ash and two kg of sulphur dioxide. The burning of 130 to 150 lakh tonnes of paddy straw in a span of 20 days generates pollution equal to what the state industry generates in a year,” Dr Gupta added.

Study to gauge impact of stubble burning 

Dr Vitull K Gupta, Dr Anil Goyal, Dr Tanvir Kaur Sidhu, Dr Meghna Gupta, Dr Arun K Maria and Dr Sonia Arora conducted a survey to identify the adverse health effects associated with stubble burning. The team of doctors adopted a questionnaire about the symptoms related to the air pollution episode and translated it in the local language.