pollution I

Pollution causing bone related ailments?
Medical check-up camp reveals startling facts
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 17
In a shocking revelation, it has come to light that the fly ash billowing out of the chimneys of the thermal power plant in Bathinda has not only been causing skin and respiratory problems but also damaging the orthopaedic health of the residents of the colonies located around it.
During a special orthopaedic health check-up camp held today at Panchwati Nagar, the colony located adjacent to the thermal power plant, the doctors found that of the 204 persons in different age-groups, who underwent diagnosis, except for 42, all were experiencing bone-related problems.
Speaking to The Tribune, the doctors informed that a majority of the residents were facing Osteopenia — a condition where bone mineral density is lower than normal. Besides, some cases were found to be of osteoporosis, an ailment that causes thin bones.
It is learnt that such diseases occur more frequently in post-menopausal women and can also be exacerbated by lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise and excess consumption of alcohol. Meanwhile, smoking or prolonged use of glucocorticoid medications, such as those prescribed for asthma, are also the reasons behind these diseases.
People in these colonies are of the belief that the raining fly ash and the smoke of the thermal plant, which burns a full rake of 52 coal wagons a day, is the prime reason behind the deterioration of their health. They mentioned that the fly ash has not only polluted air and water but also the food products.
After the check-up, Dr Nitin Bansal, assistant professor (orthopaedic), Adesh Medical College and Hospital, Bathinda, described bone pain, tenderness, fractures with little trauma, pain in the neck, spine and hip fractures as the late symptoms of the diseases.
Speaking about the causes, the doctor suspected pollution to be a major factor.
Blaming the authorities of the thermal plant and the Pollution Control Board for the problems, convener of the Joint Action Committee (formed to raise protests against the pollution) MM Behal, who is also a resident of Panchvati Nagar, said, "We have requested the authorities concerned to check the menace of fly ash but hardly any action has been taken yet."