Air pollution spoiling health of traffic cops in Mangaluru, confirms test

[email protected] (CD Network)
May 9, 2016

Mangaluru, May 9: The pulmonary function test (PFT) conducted on the traffic police by the Anti-Pollution Drive (APD) Foundation has showed a significant correlation in lung functions and exposure to vehicular pollutants.

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According to the results of the test and the subsequent study, reduction in air pollution can reduce the number of traffic police falling prey to restrictive lung disease. Reduction in exposure by use of protective gears like pollution mask and reduction in the duration of exposure in a day would also help in improving their lung function. Monitoring vehicles, which are on roads for over 10 years for pollution, would also help in minimising the level of pollution, the foundation said in a press release.

The PFT by computerised spirometer, measuring FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR, and FEF25-75 per cent, was measured by pulmonologists from the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Yenepoya Medical College.

The test showed that significant number of traffic personnel have affected lungs. The results indicated that 22.3 per cent of the policemen having five and less than five years of service are showing signs of restrictive lungs. About 26.3 per cent policemen, having more than five years' experience, are showing restrictive lung capacity.

The Foundation which has germinated from this city has observed that Mangaluru is one of the rapidly growing cities in the country and the growth is associated with an enormous increase in vehicular traffic emitting exhausts and polluting the atmosphere. Airborne dust plays a major part in the overall atmospheric pollution and motor vehicle emissions are the most significant sources of pollution in an urban environment. Road traffic produces volatile organic compounds, suspended particulate matter, oxides of sulphur, oxides of nitrogen, and carbon monoxide which makes adverse health effects on the exposed population, it said.

It said the traffic-related air pollution is a day-to-day health hazard to individuals who commute to offices, school and colleges. Several students use the public transportation or the transportation provided by the educational institutes and they are exposed to hazardous toxins in the air. Schoolchildren, who are exposed to pollution at a tender age, develop health hazards is their respiratory system due to automobile exhaust. Every year, the percentage of asthmatic children is increasing in urban areas. Vehicular pollution is the sole pollution contributing elements in a large scale within city limits affecting residents, school students and officer goers.

APD?Foundation Founder Abdullah A Rehman said observing respiratory complaints among the retired traffic police would help in studying the long-term effects of the occupation. Through PFT results, APD further wants to study the health impacts of pollution in Mangaluru and related issues.

He added, “The foundation will be able to identify the impact on the most-affected group based on the PFT results. We will then identify the location and area that they are working and start monitoring the pollution levels in these areas. We will also use this information to work towards categorical mitigation.”

ACP (Traffic) Uday Nayak said the tests conducted by the foundation have helped the police a lot. “It is good to know the health condition of the police, especially the traffic police personnel,” he said and added that the hospitals have offered to provide free treatment to the affected police personnel.

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Comments

Swetha
 - 
Monday, 9 May 2016

really sad to see traffic police in this heavy heat climate.

Priyanka
 - 
Monday, 9 May 2016

my father is working in police department, i m very much worried about his health.

Saleem
 - 
Monday, 9 May 2016

really effecting health of traffic police, must wear musk all the time while on duty.

Manikanta
 - 
Monday, 9 May 2016

yahh rain, air pollution, heat make them sick.

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News Network
July 5,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 5: A 50-year-old woman with breathing difficulties died on Saturday after a shortage of beds forced 12 hospitals to refuse admission.

Her husband Babu said the family had approached 12 hospitals in three days, including Victoria Hospital and other private facilities, who all slammed their doors on them, citing a shortage of beds. The woman died on Saturday, a few minutes into her admission at KC General Hospital.

Second death 

A 35-year-old man, Manjunath, also died on Saturday after enduring fever for three days and being refused admission at several hospitals due to a shortage of beds.

As his condition worsened, his wife admitted him to a private hospital on Saturday after hours of ordeal. But the man died less than 15 minutes after getting admitted. Hospital authorities took swab samples from the deceased and said the body would be handed over after the test results.

BBMP personnel also failed to shift the body of a Covid-19 patient in Kalasipalya almost a day after the death.

Despite civic workers disinfecting the place, the neighbours were in a state of panic after the body was kept at home.

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News Network
July 25,2020

Chennai, Jul 25: Two weeks after a 62-year-old widow accused him of harassment, including urinating outside her house, the Chennai Police on Saturday registered an FIR against ABVP national president Dr Subbiah Shanmugam.

Dr Shanmugam, Professor and HOD, Department of Surgical Oncology, Kilpauk Medical College and Government Royapettah Hospital, has been booked under sections 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) and 427 (mischief causing damage) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Prevention Act.

The FIR was lodged exactly two weeks after the woman’s relative Balaji Vijayaraghavan filed a complaint with the Adambakkam police accusing Dr Shanmugam of harassing his aunt, who is living alone in her apartment following her husband’s death last year, following an argument over a parking slot. 

The action came after Vijayaraghavan alleged that the police were not filing an FIR due to the ABVP functionary’s “political connections.”

Dr Shanmugam and the woman were living in the same apartment complex in Nanganallur and an argument broke between them over a parking slot.

“He wanted to use our parking lot. We agreed but demanded a nominal charge for using it. He was outraged by our demand and even broke our signboard at the parking lot,” Vijayaraghavan wrote in his complaint.

He also alleged that Dr Shanmugam began harassing her by throwing “pieces of chicken” outside her apartment despite knowing she is a vegetarian.

CCTV footage corroborates with the allegations of urinating outside the residence of the widow. However, the ABVP called the incident as a “malicious and derogatory propaganda” by the Congress’ student wing of NSUI.

"The video shared by NSUI with an allegation of harassment is tampered with and is being used with malafide intentions. The two families have discussed this within their housing society and have already concluded that the harassment allegations were caused due to misunderstandings and are untrue,” ABVP National General secretary Nidhi Tripathi said.

Vijayaraghavan also alleged in his two-page written complaint that the ABVP national president had urinated outside the woman’s apartment gate and had been throwing garbage and used masks at her gate.

In his complaint, Vijayaraghavan also said the family was “concerned about her safety” while asking police to take action against Dr Shanmugam, who he says, “has a bad track record in maintaining rapport with neighbours.”

Also Read: ABVP national president accused of harassing woman, urinating at her doorstep

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News Network
March 28,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 28: A man from Kerala was among the terrorists affiliated to Islamic State (IS) who allegedly attacked a Gurdwara in Kabul earlier this week in which 27 people were killed.

The IS has claimed that one of the suicide bombers was Abu Khalid al-Hindi.

According to sources, investigation agencies on Friday have identified him as 29-year-old Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal of Padne in Kasargod. He was among the 14 persons, who left from Kerala to join IS in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

"IS had released the name Abu Khalid al-Hindi through its media agency soon after the attack. The photograph of him holding a rifle was also published by IS in their propaganda magazine Al Naba. From that, we have identified the person as Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal. We are investigating the matter and in touch with the investigating agencies in Afghanistan for tracking his trail," sources told ANI.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe had earlier revealed that Mohammed Sajid was recruited by Abdul Rashid Abdulla of Chandera, who was killed in Afghanistan last year.

Sajid worked as a shop keeper in a gulf country and returned to Kerala. Based on a complaint by Sajid's father Mahamood, the FIR was registered at Chendara Police Station, Kasaragod in 2016 regarding Sajid joining IS and leaving for Afghanistan.

He was among the 14 member team that left from Kerala to join IS in Khorasan Province' in Nangarhar.

ANI had earlier reported that two of these members Ayesha alias Sonia Sebastian and Fathima alias Nimisha who were in IS had expressed their interest in returning to Kerala. Out of 14, seven including Sajid is dead.

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Abdul Gaffar Bolar
 - 
Saturday, 28 Mar 2020

First, investigate truly who is behind this? Then hang all of them. 

 

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