A survey has been conducted by a community social media platform amid the increasing pollution levels in the national capital and its nearby areas, it has found that four in five families in the region have someone facing one or more diseases due to polluted air.
The investigation conducted by Local Circles also said that 91 per cent of Delhi residents believe authorities were completely or partially useless in imposing the ban on transportation, distribution and sale of crackers this Diwali.
A statement said that over 34,000 responses were received from residents of Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad for the survey. It said, out of the respondents 66 per cent were men and 34 per cent women.
In the survey, the respondents were asked the kind of illnesses faced by them since the last week as the Delhi-NCR’s air quality turned serious.
“In response, 16 per cent respondents said they were experiencing sore throat or cough or both, another 16 per cent said runny nose, congestion or burning eyes, while 16 per cent said they were facing breathing difficulty,” it said.
In the survey, it has been found that only 20 per cent of the respondents saw “no impact” of the polluted environment. On a collective basis, four in five families in Delhi-NCR are now experiencing one or more complaints due to polluted air, said the statement.
There were 24 per cent of people who experienced all the above-mentioned issues, while eight per cent experienced at least two of the symptoms. Approximately 22 per cent of the respondents said they or someone in their family have already visited doctors or hospitals regarding air pollution-related diseases.
Meanwhile, only 28 per cent of families in Delhi-NCR plan to use air purifiers and 61 per cent anti-pollution masks to cope with the current situation.
