GUWAHATI, Oct 22 � A study on �Impact of air pollution in specific areas of Guwahati and Shillong on vulnerable groups� has bracketed schoolchildren as the most-affected ones.
The study carried out by the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES) in two of the biggest cities of the Northeast on vulnerable groups like schoolchildren, labourers, rickshaw pullers, traffic police personnel, petrol station workers and roadside vendors also says that 40 per cent of the respondents comprised schoolchildren, who invariably complained of respiratory, skin and eye problems, mostly attributed to vehicular pollution.
Khanapara (Guwahati) and Police Bazaar (Shillong) topped the list of the most air-polluted areas of the respective cities, the study mentioned. The survey was conducted among 1,000 individuals in select areas of Guwahati and Shillong.
In Guwahati, the survey (2009-10) was conducted in areas like Khanapara, Bamunimaidam, Dispur, Gopinath Nagar and Shantipur.
�Clean water and clean air are the basic human rights. The hazards of air pollution are increasing dangerously and each one of us has a role to play in our own right,� Sanjoy Hazarika, trustee of C-NES, told media persons.
He informed that the study report would soon be submitted to the Pollution Control Board, Assam. �We are also planning to carry out similar studies in other cities of the NE,� Hazarika said.
A majority of the respondents, according to the report, said they do not conduct a regular pollution check-up of their vehicles in spite of it being a mandatory requirement. �It has also come to light that most of the emission testing centres are incompatible for advanced engines like Bharat Stage III and IV,� the report said.
The report added that the Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels in Guwahati�s Bamunimaidam, Dispur/Khanapara, Gopinath Nagar and Shantipur areas are much above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
On changing weather pattern, the report pointed out that the highest temperature in Guwahati has touched 7 degree Celsius higher than what was recorded six years back.
