Pollution high in state, avoid dusty areas & wear masks: Docs

Ranchi: Doctors issued health advisory on the occasion of National Pollution Control Day in a press conference organised by the SwitchON Foundation, a not for profit organisation, here on Friday.
According to a report, Jharkhand is the eighth most polluted state of the country having an average Particulate Matter (PM-2.5) concentration of 61.6 micro grams per meter cube.
As per the guidelines of Air Quality Life Index, if Jharkhand were to reduce its average PM2.5 pollution to the level prescribed by the WHO, it would be adding 5.6 years to the life expectancy of average adult living in the state.
Senior consultant and head respiratory medicine of Paras HEC Hospital, Dr Nirupam Sharan said, "Air pollution reduces life expectancy of people, therefore, it is the responsibility of every individual to make efforts to reduce pollution."
As per a report by the Lancet Journal, nearly 100.2 deaths per one lakh in Jharkhand occur due to air pollution.
The doctors suggested that people should not burn wood or garbage. people should also develop the habit of wearing masks and avoid venturing in dusty and congested areas.
The director of The Happy Lungs, a health care firm, Dr Swati Behera Sharan, said, “Amid all the worrying facts of air pollution, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has made a formidable attempt to create a national framework for air quality management. The framework mandates bringing down the PM10 and PM2.5 levels by 20-30% by 2024."