We are Getting Richer, but....

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http://www.oneworld.org/cse/html/eyou/eyou21.htm

Getting richer but. . . . . . . . . .

A World Bank study shows that as cities start getting wealthy they start

running into serious pollution problems. Thailand, a South East Asian

country, roughly doubled its GDP in 15 years, but pollutant loads increased

by at least 10-fold. Indian cities like Delhi and Bangalore are today in the

eminent company of such Asian cities.

Death is in the air

In 23 Indian cities with million-plus populations, air pollution levels

dangerously exceed WHO recommended health standards. A 1995 World Bank

estimates that 40,000 people die prematurely in India due to air pollution

alone.

Pesticides are causing cancer

Dangerous amounts of pesticides, banned in other countries, are ingested by

Indians and deposited in the body. According to a survey of studies on

pesticide residues conducted by the Industrial Toxicological Research

Institute, high levels of pesticides have been found in just about

everything neccessary for life from food to air and water. It is estimated

that infants ingesting breast milk in Delhi receive roughly 12 times the

daily allowable intake of DDT.

Several studies carried out in Canada, Sweden and the US have shown a strong

correlation between the risk of Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma (an uncommon form of

cancer) and exposure to pesticides. But no studies have been conducted in

India linking pesticides to cancer. Statistics indicate that one of every 10

to 15 people living in metros cities in India are potential cancer victims

during their lifetime.

Mosquito menace continues

Drastic changes in vector ecology have occurred due to abundant and frequent

use of pesticides in agriculture and public health. Mosquitoes have become

resistant to pesticides and parasites to drugs. Environmental management of

vectors is now the only solution to managing the vector problem. Studies

show that deforestation can also result in new diseases. The tick-borne

Kyasanoor forest disease detected in India is an example.

Rural women have no respite

Rural women in India are most affected in terms of health problems by

deforestation, since they have to carry huge amounts of wood over long

distances each and every day for cooking and other domestic uses. The

constant heavy work burden has long-term effects on their health.

Our mission is to

Make policy makers, professional groups and the lay public in India aware

about the growing and changing threats to public health resulting from

environmental change.

Develop an environmental health policy in India

Strengthen research in important disciplines like environmental management

of vectors, toxicology and epidemiology.

Specific areas of work

Public awareness

Policy research

Advocacy

Education and training

Scientific research