Srinagar tops highest incidence of lung cancer in India
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Dec 10: In a shocking revelation, Director, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura today said that around 10,000 deaths reported from Jammu and Kashmir yearly are attributed to air pollution.
Dr Parvaiz. A. Koul made these comments during an event on the launch of ‘Doctors for Clean Air and Climate Action’ (DFCA), J&K Chapter that was organized here at SKIMS and said that the Particulate Matter 2.5 is the reason behind the reported 10,000 deaths yearly.
He said that today’s program was aimed at creating awareness and that it is not only about Delhi or Mumbai which are facing the problem of air pollution. “The issue is very much present in J&K because of the increased number of vehicles, construction activities, brick kilns, cement factories,” he said.
According to Dr Koul, the pollutants that are released greatly pollute the air and harm people’s health. “Air pollution is a problem for healthcare. The public will learn about it if doctors raise awareness of it, he claimed.
The J&K Chapter of the DFCA is aimed at reducing air pollution in the UT for the benefit of people’s health and well-being. At the event, experts argued in favour of limiting pollutant emissions while highlighting Kashmir’s deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI), which is particularly bad in the winter.
According to experts, air pollution affects every part of the body, and the situation is getting worse as Kashmir’s air quality declines. “The AQI went from moderate to severe last winter. The government’s major policy measures are appreciated in this regard as there is a need for quick involvement.”
Director SKIMS also informed that Srinagar City has the highest incidence of lung cancer in the country and J&K has a huge burden of chronic lung diseases and air pollution is the major risk factor for these diseases.
He emphasised the significance of both individual and community-level action, the need for good transportation planning to lessen traffic, as well as other real-world, workable alternatives.
In addition to promoting cleaner fuels and reducing the use of traditional fuels that produce significant amounts of pollution, the experts at the event called for increasing plantation throughout J&K and keeping an eye on the sources of pollution, which included removing vehicles which have exceeded life.
Prof. Arvind Kumar, founder and chairman of the Institute of Chest Surgery in Medanta, Gurugram, and founder trustee of the Lung Care Foundation, presented a thorough lecture on “Understanding air pollution and its detrimental consequences on health” during the event.
He pointed out that air pollution is a clear health concern that has gained national attention and poses a risk to human health by harming the lungs and other key organs including the heart and brain.
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