Rise in cases of respiratory diseases in Bihar's Muzaffarpur

MUZAFFARPUR: The poor air quality in Muzaffarpur town has started taking its toll on the health of the residents.
Muzaffarpur remained in second position in the list of most polluted cities of the state over the past few days. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 284 on Wednesday and was categorised in ‘poor’ category and it plunged to 341 on Thursday, which comes under ‘very poor’ category.
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As per the norms of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), ‘very poor’ air quality can lead to severe respiratory illness, while poor air quality also causes breathing discomfort to many on prolonged exposure. There has been an increase in the number of patients pouring in different government hospitals, including the sadar hospital and Sri Krishna medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) with respiratory problems.
The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that 226 patients with respiratory problems have been registered at SKMCH in the last 36 hours. SKMCH superintendent Dr Sunil Kumar Shahi said, “On an average, about 50 to 60 new patients with respiratory and lungs disorders are being registered at the hospital everyday since October 31.”
“Most of the patients come with breathing problems. The number of people suffering with asthma-like symptoms has gone up five times and there has been an increase in the number of patients suffering from lungs tuberculosis. Similarly, many patients are also facing severe allergic conditions due to pollution which has gone up roughly ten times,” Dr Shahi said.
Dr CK Das of sadar hospital said that 100 out of 500 patients being registered at the outpatient department (OPD) of the hospital are being diagnosed with respiratory problems. “About 35 to 40 have been admitted to the emergency unit,” he said.
Unplanned construction and other activities also lead to formation of heavy dust particles, said Dr Das.
A Muzaffarpur- based ENT expert Dr Vijay Kumar attributed the air pollution to plying of old and unchecked vehicles in the town. “The number of vehicles running in the town has gone up by nearly 15 times in the last one decade. These vehicles ply defying all emission norms leading to surge in pollution level,” he said.
District transport officer Nazir Ahmad asserted that the number of vehicles in Muzaffarpur town which are more than 15 years old is around 2.5 lakh. “The state government has decided to ban commercial vehicles more than 15 years old with immediate effect and we are launching a drive soon to implement the same,” he said.