Winter air breathes trouble for Puneites

IN the coming decades, the most expensive and rare commodity in Pune will be a breath of fresh air.
Those out for a morning walk in this quasi-metro couldn’t agree more. With vehicle population touching new heights, the air is proving to be very dangerous. The Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), has reached an alarming density in the city this winter.
According to figures released by the Road Transport Office (RTO), the air should have less than 50 RSPM density per cubic meter.The pollution statistics by released by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Nirdhar, an NGO, show it to be between 200-300 (depending on the area).
“The cold climate adds to the hazard, because the air is heavy and humid. This allows little air circulation and keeps particles suspended in the air for more than 12 hours,� explains Dr S K Dixit, additional director general, research, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in Pune, “This saturation makes air hard to breathe.�
Dr M Rajeevan, IMD director for long range forecasting says, “The worst part of this problem is the sulphur particles.
They don’t circulate easily and are trapped in the lowest belt of atmosphere.� The effect is obvious, as patients suffering from asthma and lung maladies are complaining more than ever.
Vishwas Sathe, an asthma patient for the last 17 years, finds this winter the worst. “Never in my life did I find the city more troublesome,� he laments, “Even in the wee hours of the morning, when I usually find fresh air, it’s unbearable.�
Regular morning jogger Vineeta Abnave can feel it on her face, “It gets grimy by the time I get home.�
Dr Navin Sethi, ENT expert, finds this phenomenon a frequent reason of health complaints these days. “Winter air mixed with smog invokes headaches, nausea, eye and nose irritations and breathing problems.
In some of the cases, acute allergies are also frequent due to sulphur particles,� he says, “I would advise Puneites to cover their nose and ears as far as possible when going out. For asthma patients, a change of place is the best medicine.�
sharvari.joshi@timesgroup.com