Thanks to dust, ash, smoke residents suffer from respiratory ailments
By Sheikh Nasir Hussain, NAK
Kishtwar : After losing everything, they had gathered during their life time, in a devastating fire, poor villagers of Margi in Warwan area are now facing another ghost – respiratory ailments.
Reports reaching here from the area revealed that some of the villagers living in makeshift camps under open skies in the harsh winter, have been gradually afflicted by various respiratory ailments like bronchitis, asthma, larynxitis, phayrnxitis and other obstructive air-way diseases.
In the aftermath of the incident Margi village had been turned into a pool of smoke and all the structures were reduced into ashes, said sources, adding in the drought-hit village dust, smoke and ash have multiplied their miseries.
Well informed sources in the district administration told News Agency of Kashmir that strong rotors of IAF choppers stir up the dust and ash which poor villagers unwillingly have to inhale.
“Some of them have been taken ill to respiratory diseases like bronchitis and asthma,” sources claimed.
A local resident, Abdul Samad, who visited the hospital here said, “Every time a chopper takes off or lands at the site, dust and ash go up in the air engulfing the camp and it settles down after 15 minutes or even more as sometimes strong winds worsen the situation,” he added.
He said, “Though doctors have advised us to keep our faces, particularly, nose and mouth covered with handkerchiefs but still some among us complain about pain in their chest and difficulty in breathing.”
“Even small children have been complaining of uneasiness and difficulty in breathing,” he added.
Another villager Khursheeda Begum said, “Choppers land and take-off near the camp stirring up the dust and ash which have started affecting our health”.
“It would have been better if the authorities either shift us to a safer place or change the site for choppers to some other place,” she said.
Dr Abdul Gani Butt, who is a member of a medical team at the camp told NAK that smoke, dust, and ash may become a cause of respiratory ailments in this remote village but villagers have been advised to adopt some precautions.
“Apart from medicine we have been giving them tips to stay safe,” he added.
“There is no need to press panic buttons and we are alert to meet the situation,” said Dr Butt, adding “minor problems have been reported to us and we have given them medicines and advise but nothing alarming has happened as yet.”
Dr Butt, however, told NAK that atmosphere in the village rife with dust, smoke and ash has all the ingredients for spread of respiratory ailments.
He, however, admitted that had carcass of dead animals not been removed villagers by now would have been in the grip of an epidemic.
It may be recalled here that several animals of the poor villagers were burnt to death in the devastating fire.