HYDERABAD: The city with its alarming air pollution levels gets an Air Pollution Research and Disease Diagnostic Centre (APRDC) thanks to the initiative by GAIL to combat pollution-related diseases.

The centre set up at a cost of Rs.20 lakhs at MNJ Institute of Oncology was inaugurated by GAIL Chairman Proshanto Banerjee here on Friday.

"This is the sixth centre that has been commissioned in the country as against our target of opening 22 centres in 22 cities. The centres being set up as part of Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of the company will not only provide diagnostic facilities and treatment to the poorer section of society but will also facilitate baseline investigations for the diagnosis," Mr.Banerjee said.

The APRDC would work as R and D for development of facilities for diagnosing suspended particles, which were known to cause various lung and heart diseases. The centres were set up in partnership with reputed hospitals, institutions, NGOs in health care activities, he explained.

He also responded positively to the request of Director of Institute B.N.Rao to consider funding the Rs.1.25-crore molecular biology department to evolve genetherapy to treat cancer patients.

Supply of natural gas

It has been scientifically and medically proved that fossil fuels cause greater pollution of air and adversely impact people's health. To combat pollution, GAIL was set to supply natural gas in 22 cities under Blue Sky Project such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Pune, Mathura, Sholapur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada. "Air pollution is bound to reduce on supply of CNG to transport sector and piped natural gas for domestic and commercial usage in these cities."

GAIL, a Navratna Public Sector Unit marketing eco-friendly natural gas for domestic, automobile, industrial requirements, allocated 1 per cent of its profits for community initiatives like environment protection and horticulture, infrastructure, drinking water, health care and community development.

Mr. B.N.Rao said that the inauguration of the APRDC coincided with the golden jubilee of the institute. Hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide would directly act on haemoglobin and air pollution caused lung cancer and in some cases the pollutants would be co-carcinogenic. The centre would help them in diagnosing early air pollution-related diseases.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail