MINDING EVERY BREATH WE TAKE

OVER the years, the city of Bengaluru has changed.

- DR SATYANARAYANA MYSORE

As a practising clinician and pulmonologist, I have observed that the incidence and nature of airway problems in the city have changed, too. As we are morphing from a lush garden city to a concrete jungle, there is a loss of lung spaces and breathing corridors.The historical accounts of the major lakes of Bengaluru are well known. Only a few of the nine-odd have survived. A recent visit to a residence in Benniganahalli and the Ramamurthy Nagar Welfare Association revealed that the residents de novo took up the task of reviving the Benniganahalli lake and crafting a wonderful breathing space with a walkway and greenery. So, changing for the better is possible too.

Recently, the government of Karnataka constituted an expert committee to analyse the effect of air quality index changes on healthcare under the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health. The analysis, involving 1.25 lakh records, showed a high correlation between the incidence of acute respiratory infections and air-quality trends, with a strong seasonal pattern. The surge of infections heightened in the winter months (December-January) and a second surge was noted post-monsoon (August-September). A significant upward trajectory of about 77 percent was noted between 2023 and 2025.