"Poor AQI doesn't increase the risk of lung disease..." Amid rising air pollution, the government's bizarre argument

News Topical, Digital Desk : The central government's argument in Parliament regarding the rising AQI in Delhi has sparked a debate. On Thursday, the government told Parliament that there is no conclusive data proving a direct link between high Air Quality Index (AQI) levels and lung diseases. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh, however, admitted that air pollution could be a triggering factor for respiratory diseases.

There is no direct link between AQI and lung diseases: Singh 

Kirti Vardhan Singh made this argument in response to a question from BJP MP Laxmikant Bajpayee, who had asked whether the government was aware that research and medical tests had confirmed that prolonged exposure to dangerous AQI levels in Delhi-NCR was causing lung fibrosis, leading to a reduction in lung capacity?

Bajpayee also wanted to know whether the lung elasticity of people in Delhi-NCR has reduced by about 50 percent compared to people living in cities where AQI levels are good?

Training and awareness programmes for vulnerable groups 

The BJP MP further asked whether the government has any solution to save millions of people in Delhi/NCR from life-threatening diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, emphysema, reduced lung function and progressively decreasing lung elasticity?

Responding to this, the Minister said that special training modules have been developed for programme managers, medical officers, nurses, nodal officers, sentinel sites, and frontline workers like ASHA, vulnerable groups including women and children, professionally affected groups like municipal employees along with traffic police.

He said information, education and communication (IEC) material targeting air pollution-related diseases has been developed in English, Hindi and regional languages.

Singh said, 'The National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) has also developed customised IEC material for various vulnerable groups.'

Early alerts for air pollution

He further said, 'Early alerts for air pollution as well as air quality forecasts are sent by the Meteorological Department to states and cities to help the health sector and communities prepare.

The Minister said that the objective of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is to protect the health of women and children by providing clean cooking fuel in the form of liquefied petroleum gas.

He also said that the government's Swachh Bharat Mission seeks to clean roads, streets and infrastructure in cities, towns and rural areas.

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