Air pollution causing eye ailments to village near Kanpur

Kanpur, July 29 : Residents of Akbarpur Mati village near Kanpur are suffering from corneal diseases and other eye allergies brought on by toxic emissions from about 300 factories.

"The ashes from the factories which are running in the vicinity affect the eyesight of everyone. Some people get their checkup done and are cured but again after some days the problem reoccurs," said Raju, a villager.

The doctors have claimed that out of the 80 patients visiting the clinic, 50 percent have been victims of corneal injuries and allergic conjunctivitis.

In our OPD (Out Patient Department) around 80 people come per day out of which 50 per cent cases are of allergic conjunctivitis and corneal injury ulcer. The root cause of allergy or damage to cornea is the entrance of foreign body, "said Tanmay Kakkad, an eye surgeon.

The state's pollution board claims to have set down certain norms for factories to observes, but according to Shobha Chaturvedi, Regional Officer Pollution Control Board, these provisions are ignored.

ANI