Transportation and Its Health Implications in India T

Purpose: This study examines the effects of atmospheric pollution emanating from transport infrastructure on human health in mega cities of INDIA(in particular study of DELHI ,capital city of INDIA and HYDERABAD, capital city of TELANGANA state) . The paper makes an absorbing quest for the creation of a sustainable transport environment in Indian megacities along with a detailed investigation of the existing problems in health by motorized transport system. Thus the scheme of this paper is to examine the extent of the problem and to suggest remedial measures. Primary and secondary data were used for this research. The primary source involves the use of structured questionnaires to elicit information on the effects of transport pollutants in the study area. The secondary data was obtained from government periodicals, unpublished theses and journals. Analytical and statistical techniques have been used for interpretation and data representation. Findings: The findings revealed that the transport sector has contributed significantly to the emissions of toxic substances into the atmosphere. High demand for used automobiles has increased the emission of toxic substance into the atmosphere, which is inimical to human health in the study area. An estimated 32% of the traffic police personnel in Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, the fifth largest metropolitan city in India, suffer from lung related disorders including pneumonia and bronchitis(an India Today report). Many of the residents have been affected by eye irritations, blurred vision lung cancer and many other related diseases. The high rate of smoke emissions from automobiles in the city has adverse effects on the health of the inhabitants of Hyderabad and many other similar cities in India. Many surveys reveals that 45% of the respondents claimed that they have transport-related diseases in the city. It is pertinent to note that 50% of the respondents who claimed that they have transport-related health challenges have eye problems, approximately 16% has asthma and the same percentage has skin-burn diseases. In addition 8% and 5% of the patients claimed that they have upper respiratory tract infections and hypertension respectively. Only 2% of respondents indicated that they have hearing impairment resulting from unpleasant sounds emanating from indiscriminate use of horns by motorists and record players. Obviously, many of these diseases occur as a result of exhaust from automobiles, combustion activities of industries, and dust particles, as well as smoke from the burning of fossil fuels. The interview with the health officers at the General hospital in Hyderabad revealed that the patients who live close to transport hubs/polluted areas have accumulated severe respiratory ailments over the years. The high rate of temperature changes in the city has aggravated the health challenges faced by these people due to the depletion of the ozone layer, which invariably affects the terrestrial radiation received on the earth’s surface. On several occasions , many of the people living or working very close transport hubs/heavy traffic complained severe headaches, fatigue and body irritation. This suggests that the emission of toxic substances into the atmosphere in not restricted to a particular geographical area because of the general circulation of air. Many reports indicates that approximately 50% of the respondents who either work or live a distance of less than 100 meters from the transport hubs claimed that they have health challenges related to transport diseases in the study area. Another 30% of those transport hubs indicated that they have had similar health problems within the last six years. A significant proportion of responding households who reside beyond 200 meters from the transport hubs claimed that they also have health challenges related to transport diseases in the study area. This is an indication of the distance decay effect of the proportion of people with health challenges in relation to the proximity of their residence to the heavy traffic flow. Approximately more than 45% of the respondents claimed that they have transport related diseases such as asthma, eye problems and upper respiratory tract infections in the city . The study concluded that there is a need to reduce trips through integration of land uses and transportation planning , and more importantly , there is a need to shift to more energy – efficient modes. Despite the strict regulations imposed on the importation of used vehicles into the country , the data obtained from the INDIA Licensing Office showed that the importation of automobile vehicles into Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad ,. ( which do not meet the emission standards of advanced countries) has increased tremendously over the years. Similarly , reliable data from the statistical Transportation and Its Health Implications in India 68 records of INDIA revealed that the rate of emission of toxic substances has increased over the past decade because of the discharge of pollutants from transport infrastructure.