The Health Concern of Delhi’s Residents
Health defects and their affiliation with air quality permeating India’s largest city.
Delhi, India is the capital city of this particular developing country, with overpopulation and morbid health concerns claiming its residents. Air quality is an obvious concern for India as a whole but its capital raises considerable ecological issues that need to be addressed. Surprisingly, Delhi has unusually high levels of TSP, almost five times the recommended average standard of the World Health Organization. Two large coal power plants, motor vehicles, and the burning of trash all contribute to Delhi’s rising air pollution problem. Unfortunately, a large part of Delhi’s medical assistance contributes to mortal respiratory diseases. In one particular study, the correlation of asthma and air pollutants increased substantially during winter months, when air quality was exceptionally poor. The study was exceptionally accurate considering the participants were of all age ranges with varying degrees in health. Another study found that the amount of chronic respiratory symptoms is highly associated with the socioeconomic status, considering most lower-class neighborhoods received the highest pollutants and TSP levels within the air.
List of admitted health issues that are considered whilst categorizing “chronic respiratory symptoms”:
- chronic cough
- phlegm
- breathlessness
- wheezing
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/chronic bronchitis
- bronchial asthma
- lower levels of lung function results
Delhi’s residents continue to suffer from these health-related issues showing little to no improvement within the past decade. Environmental advocates push for investments in the city’s metro system, additional job opportunities in suburban areas outside the city, and civic encouragement of emitting less vehicular gases whilst driving. The health effects alone should be an encouragement for the city to make ecological progress. Unfortunately, poverty and lack of education on this topic prevent this large-scale city from advancing any further.
References:
- Cropper, Maureen L., et al. “The Health Benefits of Air Pollution Control in Delhi.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 79, no. 5, 1997, pp. 1625–1629. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1244393.
- Pande, J. N., et al. “Outdoor air pollution and emergency room visits at a hospital in Delhi.” Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences 44.1 (2002): 13–20.
- Chhabra, Sunil K., et al. “Ambient air pollution and chronic respiratory morbidity in Delhi.” Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal 56.1 (2001): 58–64.
- Bureau, Mail Today. “Nearly HALF of Delhi’s children suffer ‘severe’ lung problems due to air pollution.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 4 May 2015, www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-3067818/Nearly-HALF-Delhi-s-children-suffer-severe-lung-problems-air-pollution.html.
