Helping Leh battle the scourge of silicosis

CHANDIGARH: While people of Leh have learnt to live with sub-zero temperatures, the summer months drive them to physicians in droves with symptoms similar to tuberculosis.
Six years ago, the Union health ministry sought the help of Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Occupational Health to investigate the matter.
It came to light that people of Leh suffer from a lung disease known as silicosis.Leh is the only place in the world to have cases of non-occupational silicosis.
Subsequently, a detailed report was prepared and forwarded to the Union health ministry. Six years down the line the problem still persists.
Having failed to initiate any follow-up action on the subject till date, NIOH is now toying with the idea of starting an intervention programme for the people of Leh.
Talking to TNN at the 91st session of the Indian Science Congress which was inaugurated at Panjab University on Saturday, NIOH assistant director B C Lakkad said, ‘‘Leh is the only place in the world to have cases of non-occupational silicosis. This came to light when we carried out studies in three villages of Leh district about six years back. Unfortunately, since then we have not been able to initiate follow-up action as we have done in Gujarat and UP from where cases of occupational silicosis have been reported.’’
He said the institute is thinking of planning out intervention programmes for people of Leh affected by silicosis and initiate some steps to reduce its occurrence.
‘‘During summers when snow melts on the western side of the Himalayas, storms start eroding stones. This generates fine silica dust which when inhaled leads to silicosis,’’ Lakkad said.
A lung disease similar to tuberculosis, silicosis is caused by exposure to stone dust. ‘‘It is a very fast progressing lung disease. Once the disease sets in, which takes about two to three years to surface, a person can die within three to five years. The X-ray picture is exactly similar to tuberculosis,� he added.