Panvel Municipality appeals to residents to wear masks owing to poor air quality

Considering the increasing air pollution of Panvel during the winter season, the Panvel Municipal Corporation has appealed to respiratory patients to wear masks. For this, the Health Department of Panvel Municipality has instructed five different entities to observe mask wearing. This includes children under five years of age, elderly people, pregnant mothers, people with respiratory and respiratory diseases, as well as people with poor nutritional status and people who use fossil fuels for cooking, heating and lighting along with traffic police, traffic volunteers, construction workers, road sweepers etc. The medical health department of the municipality has appealed to wear masks.

Residents of Panvel are complaining that Taloja Colony has the highest level of air pollution in Panvel Municipal Corporation. Rajeev Sinha, who lives in this area, has written a complaint to the Lokayukta. Interestingly, as there is no health centre in this area, the municipality does not have the number of people with respiratory diseases. Due to the increase in dust particles in the air in Mumbai, the work of reducing the dust particles by splashing water on the roads of Mumbai Municipal Corporation has started to reduce the pollution. In Panvel, more constructions have started in Taloja and other areas than in Mumbai. Dust from these constructions, dust from international airport operations, Panvel has 80 stone quarries.

The question is whether these quarries are being operated as per Pollution Control Board regulations. Green curtains are installed around the constructions in Panvel and Taloja area to prevent the dust from going directly into the air. Since the people's representatives in Panvel are involved in construction business and mining, it is clear that no political party is ready to speak against this business. Panvel Municipality Health Department Head Dr. Anand Gosavi said that rickshaw pullers, as well as roadside vendors and other citizens who work outdoors in the polluted environment are most at risk of this pollution. 

What should citizens do?

• Avoid going to slow and busy roads, areas near polluting industries, demolition sites, high pollution places such as coal based, power plants and brick kilns etc

• Schedule outdoor activities according to AQI level and stay indoors on days with poor to severe AQI 

• On days with mild to severe AQI, avoid walking, running, jogging, and physical exercise in the morning and late evening

• Do not open windows and doors during morning and evening hours, if necessary you can go out between 12 noon and 4 pm
  
  
• Avoid burning biomass like wood, coal, animal dung, kerosene

• Use clean smokeless fuel (gas or electricity) for cooking and heating purposes. If using biomass, use a clean cook stove.

• Avoid burning crackers

• Avoid open burning of any kind of wood, leaves, crop residues and garbage

• Do not consume cigarettes, and related tobacco products
  
  
• Avoid burning mosquito coils and incense sticks in closed premises

• Use a wet cloth instead of sweeping or vacuuming around the house. If you choose to use a vacuum cleaner, use one that has a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter

• Wash eyes regularly with running water and gargle regularly with warm water
  
  
• If you experience shortness of breath, dizziness, cough, chest discomfort or pain, burning eyes (redness or watery), consult your nearest doctor

• Eat a healthy diet, fresh fruits and vegetables

• Take care to maintain adequate water level in the body by drinking water