Lok Sabha Question No. 1498 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-04
Subject: Diseases by Pollution
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: PREM DAS RAI, (SMT.) RATNA DE(NAG), NISHIKANT  DUBEY, AJAY (TENI) MISRA, HARI MANJHI, V. PANNEER SELVAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1498 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH MARCH, 2016

## DISEASES BY POLLUTIO N

## 1498. SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

DR. RATNA DE (NAG):

SHRI NISHIKANT DUBEY:

SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI:

SHRI HARI MANJHI:

SHRI V. PANNEERSELVAM:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is high prevalence of respiratory and other diseases due to air pollution across thecountry and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the estimated number of people suffering from diseases due to exposure to polluted air and deaths occurred there from in the country year, State/UT - wise;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  had constituted  a  Committee  c omprising  public health  and environment experts as wells a officials under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to study and map exposure to air pollution and if so, the details thereof along with the composition and terms of reference of the said Com mittee;
- (d) whether the said Committee has submitted its report and if so, the details thereof along with the major recommendations made by the Committee along with action taken by the Government thereon; and
- (e)  the  corrective  measures  taken/ proposedby  the  Government  to  ensure adequate  medical facilities for the patients suffering from diseases caused by air pollution?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a)& (b) : Air pollution is known to be one of the aggrava tin  factors for many respiratory ailments and cardiovascular disease. Several epidemiological studies have shown an assoc between particulate air pollution and exacerbations of illness in people with respirator as well as rise in the number of deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

The data regarding number of people suffering from diseases due to exposure to poll air and deaths occurred there from is not centrally maintained.

(c): The Ministry of Health & FW constituted a steering committee on 'Health related issues on Air Pollution' in January, 2014 with following terms of reference:

- I. To examine and document the evidence available on indoor and outdoor air pollution its  impact  on  various  health  outcomes  including  Chro nic  Obstructive  Pulmonary  and other Respiratory Diseases.
- II. To identify different institutional and individual sources responsible for causing and outdoor air pollution using available evidence.
- III. To suggest ways in which data can be gathered from various government sources which will facilitate studies of the causes and impact or air pollution.
- IV. To commission such studies as are necessary on the causes and impact of indoor outdoor air pollution.
- V. To recommend action required to be taken in orde r to control/reduce the pollution caused by the sources identified.
- VI. To recommend methods and framework to monitor indoor and outdoor air pollution and to achieve the targets adopted in this regard.

The  committee  comprised  experts  drawn  from  the  field  of, inter - alia,  Public  Health, Pulmonary  Medicine,  Environment  Health  Engineering,  Economics  and  representatives  of relevant Ministries / Government Organisations.

(d) : The committee has submitted their report which has been accepted in principle by Ministry. Major recommendations of the committee include mitigating air pollution and h impacts by each source including household air pollution due to use of biomass and coa household cooking energy, vehicular pollution, trash burning, use of di esel gensets n residential or commercial buildings, road dust, brick kilns, industries and power plants. The Committ also  suggested  activities  including  appropriate  policy  and  legal  framework  for  reduci pollution on the basis of public health considerations, s trengthening policy - making capabilities in the area of air pollution and health and data collection on air pollution and health impac

(e) : Health being a State subject, it is primarily the responsibility of the State gover provide  health  care  for  the  patients.  However,  the  Central  Government  through  the  hos under it, supplements the efforts of the State Gov rnments.

Facilities to attend patients affected by diseases due to air pollution are avail the Central Government hospitals like All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delh Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi, Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, Jawaharlal Institute of Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry and P ost Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, NEIGRIHMS, Shillong and RIMS,Imphal.