Four-year-old Uber Khan, who was brought to a health clinic by his father on Sunday, pleaded to the doctor through coughs, “Uncle, mujhe sans nahi lene aa raha hai. Mujhe theek kar do.” (Uncle, I can’t breathe. Make me better). A masked doctor, while checking him with his stethoscope, replied, “Beta, the air is bad here, don’t roam outside much. It is leading to a dry cough, which is affecting your breathing.” Uber’s father, looking on helplessly, could only intone, “The air will kill us.”
This is the condition of people living in the area around Deonar dumping ground, which is releasing toxic smoke on account of a fire that broke out a few days ago. For the past four days, areas like Shivajinagar, Govandi, Chembur and Ghatkopar have been covered by a layer of smog — a mixture of fog and smoke. However, the most affected people are those who live around the yard.
In the past three days, the number of patients visiting the Rajiv Gandhi Health Centre with complaints of dry cough, respiratory problems and a stinging sensation in the eyes has surged by 30 per cent. “You will feel sting in your eyes due to the smog. Almost 80 per cent of the patients coming in the past days are complaining of respiratory problems caused by pollutants released from the fire breakout. Most of the affected people are children and the elderly,” said Dr Rahil Qamar Siddhiqui from the centre.
When The Asian Age visited the centre, which is adjacent to dump yard, all the patients were discussing how the smog was affecting their health. Aman Zahara, a 16-year-old girl, suddenly developed breathing problems on Sunday and was rushed to the centre for a check up. This reporter spoke to her mother, Binta Fatima, who complained that her daughter was been coughing since the morning and developed breathlessness. “We stay just two buildings away from the dumping ground so we have to inhale this toxic air every second. This has affected my daughter badly. But I can’t help her, as we don’t have any other place to stay. In fact, her eyes have turned red because of the smog,” said Fatima.
Raising concern over the health of the residents of the place, Dr Siddhiqui said that the dumping ground often catches fire and smoke is emitted from it.
“This has become a regular phenomenon. But people suffer the most. If a child at such an early age can get respiratory problem then what does the future hold for him or her,” he said. He has been practicing in the centre since 2007.
When The Asian Age visited the only public health centre in the area, it was found closed. Local residents have said that the centre had been shut for the past 15 days due to construction work.
