Efforts to contain TB

Ambika Sharma

With several cases of tuberculosis coming to fore in Solan district, the Department of Environment is undertaking a study to assess the air pollution vis-à-vis environmental amelioration and its impact on tuberculosis (TB) management in the industrial and residential settings of Solan district.

TB is a potentially fatal contagious disease caused by an organism mycobacterium. It is an endemic in India and its diagnosis is frequently delayed, which contributes to its transmission.

Assigned to the Department of Environmental Sciences of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, the two-year study involves assessing the relation of indoor and ambient air quality on TB patients. The study, initiated a year ago, is supposed to suggest measures for the environmental amelioration, which would assess its effect on the air quality index and TB management.

Director Environment DC Rana  said the results would help in undertaking steps to ameliorate the environment to prevent the disease.

The investigators screened 1,460 persons in the project area comprising Chambaghat, Kandaghat, Deothi and Solan, which house industries as well as residential blocks. These areas lie in the vicinity of Solan town. Among those screened included 36 TB patients, while 21 patients among them have been enrolled for the study by the project team.

As per the air monitoring undertaken in the area, the maximum concentration of particulate matter (PM) 10 was found at the Brewery area followed by Shiwalik, Salogra and Dangri. The maximum concentration of PM 2.5 was found at Brewery followed by Dangri, Shiwalika and Salogra. Both parameters have been found to be within the prescribed limit of the ambient air quality standards notified by the Central Pollution Control Board.

The study till now, has helped in identifying baseline TB patients in targeted area. To undertake environmental amelioration of patients, several measures such as architectural modifications and undertaking plantation of pollution mitigating plants has been initiated. Dr Satish Bhardwaj, head of department of environmental sciences, Nauni varsity, said: “Since an elaborate study had been undertaken by scientists of IIT-Kanpur recently, its results will be used as a reference, though university scientists are also assessing the air quality on their own.” He said in the first year, the assessment of TB patients in the precincts of Solan has been undertaken and subsequently, Baddi area would be targeted.