Multiple Ways Adopted By Delhi People to Cope Up With Pollution

Almost every winter, we witness a lot of smog that covers most parts of India. Smog is a type of air pollutant derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes. Smog is extremely hazardous for our health. People suffer huge health issues such as breathlessness, lung problems, bronchitis, asthma etc. Due to the extreme ill effects of smog many people land up in hospitals and doctors’ clinics are crowded. Although the Government has been very vigilant and has come out with ways to help people cope up with this hazard but many people are coming up with their own ways to cope up with the increasing levels of pollution. Some of the most popular and common ways by which Indians try to cope up with pollution are as follows:

(i) Buying air purifiers – These days the market is flooded with the latest technology equipments. One such device is the air purifier. Are these devices really effective? Dr. Karan Madan, associate professor of pulmonary medicine at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences hospital stated that air purifiers work effectively only in those environments that are totally sealed. As soon as we open the door of our home, the purified air becomes equally impurified as the air outside. So ideally if we want to make effective use of these air purifiers, we will have to live in a 100% sealed environment.

(ii) Face masks – There are wide varieties of face masks that are available in the market today. Some of these masks are made up of simple cloth whereas others are fitted with high grade filters. But again the question that comes up is: Are these masks effective enough? Indeed no, in reality the high capacity filtration masks make breathing difficult.

(iii) Gooseberries and turmeric – It is often believed that the green fruits are loaded with anti-oxidants and can help boost immunity and reduce the impact of pollution. Nutritionists have suggested drinking a concoction made with turmeric, ginger and Indian basil, or eating jaggery or clarified butter. But they also clearly mention that these things are good for overall health and have nothing to do with pollution in general.

(iv) Aloe vera – We all know that trees absorb pollution. Among the top air purifying plants are aloe vera, the spider plant, a type of lily and the snake plant (also known as Mother-in-Law's Tongue). But do these plants really purify the air that still needs to be backed by evidence.

Conclusively, it can be stated that there are no shortcuts to prevent oneself from pollution. If you really want improvise the situation, start curbing the very source of pollution.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46135764