It was a unique gathering for World Environment Day, with not many environmentalists in the audience. Instead, the Centre for Science and Environment invited people suffering from cancer and respiratory disorders, either caused or aggravated by air pollution. These were victims of life in a city, and in a country, where environment is not on the political agenda, despite the annual lip service paid to it by politicians on June 5 every year. They needed no convincing that life in an Indian city was hazardous for their health.

The audience had a banner with a clear message for Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit: WE REFUSE TO BE THE VICTIMS OF SLOW MURDER.
Dr V Ramalingaswami, National Research Professor and chairperson of the CSE executive board,read out a statement on behalf of 16 key doctors from around the country ,including well known heart specialist Dr.Naresh Trehan and cancer specialist Dr.Praful Desai.The statement pointed out that the number of deaths related to air pollution had risen by 10,000 in just 3 years,from 1992-1995 – a death rate of one person per hour due to air pollution

Most of these deaths, the statement pointed out, were caused by consistently high levels of suspended particulate matter (SPM).The smaller and deadlier version of SPM,PM 10’s,which come from diesel exhaust, are known to cause severe damage to the lungs. New research carried out by the Scientific Review Panel of the California Air Resources Board shows that a chronic exposure of 1 ug/cm of diesel exhaust will lead to 300 additional cases of cancer per million people. On this basis, for a population of 10 million people in Delhi, this means 3000 extra cases of cancer. Japanese researcher have discovered a compound 3-nitrobenzanthrone, in the exhaust fumes of diesel engines, that may be the most carcinogenic compound ever analysed.

Many studies have established that diesel exhaust causes mutations in chromosomes and damage to DNA, triggering cancer. Diesel exhaust, rich in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and SPM, causes ten times more mutation than leaded petrol which in turn is ten timesmore mutagenic than unleaded petrol, according to swedish tests.

The statement listed several other health effects of air pollutants. Doctors and patients made presentations, voicing their frustrations against a system that gives such low priority to human health. Dr Trehan showed dramatic evidence of living in a city. He showed the audience a photograph of the lung of a person living in Himachal Pradesh, which was a healthy pink, and a photograph of the lungs of a Delhi citizen – which not surprisingly, was grey. The message of the meeting was clear – World Environment Day was no longer a day for empty symbolism like planting a tree and smiling for a photo-op. It was a day to reiterate the importance of dealing with life and death issues.