Udaipur, November 23, 2024 – While Delhi and NCR continue to reel under heavy smog conditions with the AQI mark hitting the “severe” category, other parts of north India, like Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, are also choking. With the onset of winter, Rajasthan, too, has started to see a significant rise in air pollution posing severe health, economic and social challenges. Cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Pali, Kota and Alwar are blanketed under heavy smog in the wee hours of the morning. Even Udaipur has been experiencing a serious rise in air pollution since Diwali due to smoke.

Experts attribute the cause of air pollution to illegal farm fires in Punjab and Haryana, vehicle emissions, a drop in temperature, road dust and poor construction procedures. Non-compliance of industries with environmental regulations is also a major reason for pollution. In winter the cold heavy air traps dust, emissions and smoke leading to smog.

The effect of air pollution on health has been worse this year, say medical experts, because of the rise in intensity. Hospitals across the State are seeing an influx of patients with complaints of asthma, TB, allergies and respiratory issues. Health professionals claim that around 40-60% of the cases are pollution-related.

Smog has serious impact on health. Studies estimate that air pollution contributes to over 1.6 million premature deaths annually in India. The common illnesses owing to smog are:

• Coughing and wheezing
• Burning sensation in eyes and throat
• Risk of serious heart diseases
• Risk of serious lung disease
• Risk of asthma attacks

In 2019, the Centre had launched the National Clean Air Programme under which a long-term plan in 131 cities across 24 States was to be implemented for air pollution control. Cities with populations of over one million, including Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota, were part of the programme. As of now, there seems no viable effort from the administration to address the grim situation. State's Forest and Environment Minister Sanjay Sharma has reportedly said that no special plan has been developed yet to reduce pollution.