Former Vice Chancellor Rajasthan University Dr. Arun D Sawant said there is a need to run Lead Safety Programme (LSP) in the country in order to educate people on the hazardous of lead consumption through food and other means.
Addressing a gathering at the National Conference of Research Scholars on subject ‘Sustainable Development’ on Friday, Sawant said it is due to ignorance and lack of public concern that people tend to carry out burning activities in an improper manner which results in greater CO2 (carbondioxide), SO2 (sluphur dioxide), CO (carbonmonoxide), NO (Nitrogen oxides) emission.
“Ozone layer depletion is a serious threat. Wholes in the Ozone layer have been observed at Poles. It has already resulted in extinction of some of important species and causes diseases like skin cancer, cataracts. Changing seasons, drought or excessive rain are some other ill-effects results of neglecting sustainable development,” he said.
Sawant, who has been former the former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University, cited examples of Minamata disease caused by Mercury pollution (poisoning) and also spoke about the Bhopal Gas Tragedy that claimed thousands of lives in the Madhya Pradesh capital due to leakage of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas at Union Carbide factory.
The latest case of ban on instant noodles ‘Maggi’ is an example of lead poisoning, though with the ban people have been sensitised to some extent towards harmfulness of lead, he said.
“But people have been breathing and ingesting lots of lead through commercial products like paints, print materials, leaded petrol. Even vermilion (sindur) contains unchecked concentrations of lead metal,” he added.
He said even unknowingly scores of people are getting exposed to lead poisoning in the country which is why the government should organise Lead Safety Programmes, which are of a routine in developed countries.
Sawant appealed to people to become aware about their surrounding and know about the basic materials, resources they use and food.
