Pollution in the once clean and green Doon has become a cause for concern when it comes to public health. According to the Chief Medical Officer Dr Gurpal Singh, accumulation of garbage, improper sewage system, use of pesticides and other chemicals to increase agricultural yield affects humans adversely.
Accumulation of garbage in absence of scientific waste disposal is not only increasing pollution but also affecting human health, says Dr Singh. The garbage serves as a breeding ground for flies and mosquitoes which spread diseases like malaria. Improperly dumped garbage can be seen in various parts of the city and piled on roadsides with little being done to remove the garbage. Improper disposal of garbage is becoming one of the main causes for the spread of infections in Dehradun. Improper sewage system is also proving detrimental to public health. Dr Singh pointed out that leakage in sewer pipes poses a health threat as water and sewage pipes run together. leakage from sewage pipes might result in the waste water contaminating the water supply or create puddles of contaminated water on the ground. Contaminated water is the major cause of cholera and dysentery.
Dumping of industrial waste into water bodies too affects humans adversely, said Dr Singh. Heavy metals flowing into the water bodies do not decompose and enter the human body through water in hand pumps. He further said that the use of calcium carbide for early ripening of fruits like bananas and mangoes is hazardous to human health. Stomach infections are caused by the consumption of artificially ripened mangoes says Dr Singh. Immune system of the human body is affected too. The fruit might appear attractive but is tasteless, unhealthy and slightly toxic, he added.