The Hindu : New Delhi News : Inside Delhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 02, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Inside Delhi

A major new

health risk

The Supreme Court had a few years ago put a ban on the burning of garbage and leaves within the city as it caused widespread air pollution. A slew of other measures such as introduction of a complete compressed natural gas fleet for running of all the public transport vehicles, introduction of unleaded petrol and implementation of stringent Euro II and Euro III emission norms had also led to an improvement in the quality of air in the Capital.

But with the passage of years a certain sense of complacency has crept in. Most of the norms that had made breathing easier for Delhiites have gradually been ignored. Passing though places likes East Delhi one now again encounters thick smoke in most areas.

While most of it finds its origins in the slum clusters dotting the banks of the Yamuna, fires set to tyres and garbage on the roadside also add to the pollution.

However, a major cause for pollution in the area is the Ghazipur sanitary landfill site. The huge mound of garbage here -- which is over 100 feet high now -- has a constant fire raging on it.

Though the area is on the outskirts of Delhi, it is surrounded by residential colonies on all sides and no matter which way the wind blows, the pollution causes immense harm to the health of citizens.

But the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which has been castigated time and again by the courts for its lethargic and irresponsible behaviour, has over the years not done anything to stop the menace. As is its wont, it has only overlooked the issue, which has a major bearing on the health of all those living in Delhi and its neighbouring townships in Uttar Pradesh.

— Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Special evening

It was a special evening when Delhiites came out to support and aid underprivileged children through a spiritual-musical evening and charity dinner organised by Diya Foundation at Uppal's Orchid here over the weekend.

Speaking on the intrinsic relationship between spirituality and life at the event, Chief of Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences V. Kochupillai conducted practical demonstrations on the Art of Living.

Invitees were then treated to bhajans and spiritual songs by Chitra Roy.

The charity event also saw sale of paintings by Ananda Moy Banerjee and Anita Chakraborty as well as sculptures by Kishore Chakraborty. Proceeds from the sales would be used in aid of the underprivileged children for whom Diya Foundation provides basic education, nutrition and health-care facilities besides imparting moral values.

Chairman of the Foundation's Advisory Board S.C. Manchanda appealed to the invitees to help in any way they could including sponsoring a child's education and health-care, adopting an elderly person in need, or even by simply offering their skills and time to the Foundation.

The three-year-old Foundation, which is guided by an advisory panel of eminent doctors, educationists and technocrats, regularly conducts health and yoga camps and AIDS awareness drives besides running a string of schools located in slum clusters of the Capital.

— Staff Reporter

What you gain when you quit smoking

Heart Care Foundation of India president K.K. Aggarwal has released an interesting "fact-sheet" about the benefits of giving up smoking.

According to him, when a smoker quits smoking, within 20 minutes of the last cigarette the body begins a series of changes. "Twenty minutes after quitting, the blood pressure decreases, pulse rate drops and the body temperature of hands and feet increase. At eight hours, the carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal and oxygen level in blood increases to normal and at 24 hours the quitter's chances of a heart attack decrease."

The benefits, however, don't stop here. "At 48 hours, nerve endings start re-growing and the ability to smell and taste improves and within the next two weeks to three months blood circulation improves, walking becomes easier and lung function gets better," adds Dr. Aggarwal. According to doctors, starting as early as a month after quitting smoking, and continuing for the next several months, the quitter may notice significant benefits.

"In the first smoke-free year excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half of that of a smoker, by second year chances of achieving long-term success with quitting tobacco increases significantly. Quitting also reduces stroke risk, risk of lung, mouth, throat, bladder, kidney, and pancreas cancers," he adds.

— Bindu Shajan Perappadan

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