Kolkata: Survey on traffic personnel’s health raises pollution alarm

KOLKATA: A recent study among Bidhannagar traffic police personnel again vindicated the fact that breathing city’s air, particularly in winter, is worse than smoking cigarettes. Majority of personnel with abnormal pulmonary function test (PFT) results were found to be non-smokers. The average age of these personnel is 30 years.
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Such abnormal PFT at this age is prevalent only in case of heavy smokers, said an expert. “These results are very worrying and abnormalities are remarkably high. The results urge the policy makers and citizens of Kolkata to take immediate steps to reduce air pollution,” said Dr Sugato Roy Chowdhury, consultant physical medicine at Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, who led the study for the hospital, along with city-based environment group Kolkata Clean Air.

Among 333 participants — mostly traffic constables and civic volunteers from nine traffic guards (TGs or traffic police stations) — who underwent the PFT, 17% were detected with abnormal PFT results. More than 60% of the participants with abnormal PFT results are non-smokers. The traffic police personnel are exposed to high vehicular emission. Significantly, these zones, where these personnel undertake their traffic management duty, are not among the worst polluted zones of the city.
“Pulmonary function tests are non-invasive tests that show how well the lungs are working. The tests measure lung volume, capacity, rates of flow and gas exchange. People with abnormal PFT pump in oxygen much less than what the body demands. There begins a series of health issues,” said Roy Chowdhury.
Among the participants, 24% personnel attached with Lake Town and Baguiati traffic guards were found to have abnormal PFT. While 18% of Bidhannagar and Nabadiganta traffic guard personnel had abnormal PFT results, the figure was 16% for New Town and Rajarhat traffic guard personnel. The results were better for Airport, Kaikhali and NSCBI traffic guard personnel, where the figure was as low as 9%.
Ajay Mittal of Kolkata Clean Air said data from CPCB and WBPCB last winter shows that Kolkata is the most polluted metro in India. “Here we have various modes of transport. We must come together to check pollution,” he said.