The ongoing war in West Asia is increasing many problems for the world. The demand and supply of fuel has started deteriorating globally. The heat of ongoing tension between Iran and America is now clearly being felt in India too. Governments may keep claiming that there is no shortage of LPG gas in the country, but the long queues outside gas agencies are telling a different story. For example, the country is facing ‘LPG Crisis’, in view of which health experts are alerting people regarding health. The circumstances arising out of the Iran-America war have also created a serious health crisis for the people. Especially in India, people are being alerted about lung problems. Now the question might be coming in your mind that how can the ongoing dispute between Iran and America be a threat to the health of the people living in remote India? Let us understand this in detail
LPG shortage, people moving towards biomass fuels
It is clear from the news being received from different parts of the country that people are worried about gas cylinders. Despite standing in line for hours, the cylinder is not available, there is currently a huge shortage in demand and supply. Therefore, a large number of people are again moving towards the traditional methods of cooking like wood, coal and cow dung cakes. Due to shortage of LPG, millions of families are being forced to use biomass fuels, a situation health experts are worried about. A return to levels seen two decades ago could lead to increased concerns about indoor pollution and the resulting risk of respiratory and lung problems. Experts have expressed concern that if LPG shortages continue and the use of biomass fuels increases again, it could result in a resurgence of lung-related diseases among people.
Biomass fuel can be dangerous for health
To reduce the use of biomass fuel and promote the use of LPG gas as its alternative, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana on 1 May 2016. Its main objective was to provide smoke-free kitchens to women so that they could reduce the risk of respiratory problems. However, now again people are moving towards the use of biomass fuels, albeit out of compulsion, which can increase the health risks. Burning biomass fuel (wood, cow dung, crop residues) for indoor cooking poses a risk of indoor air pollution. This can cause serious health problems, which has a direct impact on women and children. Biomass fuel and the pollution caused by it can cause diseases like respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, cataract.
increased risk of respiratory diseases
Medical reports show that biomass fuel emits huge amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, causing poor air quality. Its use for cooking increases the risk of indoor pollution. The smoke emitted from the fuel contains fine particles along with harmful gases that can be inhaled into the lungs. This increases the risk of serious respiratory diseases, serious lung damage and even cancer. Regular use of biomass fuel has been linked to the risk of COPD. One study found that 91% of the participants using such fuel had a high risk of respiratory diseases. However, when a large number of these people started using clean fuel (LPG), the risk of respiratory problems also gradually started reducing. The risk of breathlessness, wheezing and chronic cough has been seen to be higher in biomass users compared to LPG users.
