Adulterated fuel poses threat to kids

PATNA: Autorickshaws spewing thick black smoke on city roads has given a steep rise to patients with respiratory problems.

Most of these autorickshaws are running on a fuel, containing at least 50 per cent kerosene or kerosene and naphtha, which causes three times more pollution than petrol. After test, a sample of the fuel brought from a roadside seller showed two-third kerosene and one third petrol. Some samples even contain 25 per cent kerosene and naphtha each.

This largely explains why an increasing number of children and adults often fall prey to serious infection of upper respiratory tract and allergic rhinitis.

Such a high proportion of kerosene reduces the fuel’s combustion efficiency, resulting in high-level of unburnt fuel along with respirable particulate matter (RPM) emitted by autorickshaws. These RPMs restrict the flow of oxygen to the lungs, which can lead to any number of life-threatening conditions, say medical practitioners.

Padeiatrician A K Thakur agrees that school-going children on these auto-rickshaws are often victims of severe upper respiratory tract infection and allergic rhinitis, including bronchial asthma, as carbon particles get deposited in their lungs. “Too much inhalation of these highly polluted smoke can even cause lung cancer,” said L P Verma, a public health expert. In fact, parents should be made aware of the disastrous cconsequences of sending their kids on these vehicles, added Dr Verma.

State Pollution Control Board chairman Subhash Chandra Singh said pollution check drives were conducted by the traffic department periodically and erring auto-rickshaw owners or drivers are booked. He, however, agrees that most of the auto-rickshaws on Patna roads use adulterated petrol, causing a huge air pollution.

SP (traffic) Ajit Kumar Sinha said the district transport officer was authorized to check fuel adulteration. “We check relevant papers of registration and licence but booking auto-rickshaw owners for use of adulterated fuel is not under our purview.”District transport officer (DTO) Harihar Prasad said intensive checking of vehicles, especially auto-rickshaws are done at least twice a month with help of the district administration. As of now, the transport depratment is issuing a 10-year registration to an auto-rickshaw after checking all relevant papers and fitness of the vehicle. A green card is also issued to auto-rickshaw owners whose vehicles are found fit.A drive is also on to check the fitness of 10-year-old auto-rickshaws plying on city roads. “If the condition of those vehicles is found not up to the mark, those vehicles will be withdrawn,” added the DTO.

As far as booking the school auto-rickshaws are concerned, it is indeed a major problem, for if these vehicles are caught before children reach school or home and sent to traffic thana, the kids will be stranded midway unless there is an alternative arra-ngement, Prasad says.