BENGALURU: Screening of over 11,000 frontline workers in Bengaluru found reduced lung function in 45 per cent of pourakarmikas, 29.5 per cent of BMTC personnel, 28 per cent of traffic police personnel and 15 per cent of construction workers due to air pollution, according to findings presented by the VAAYU Occupational & Environmental Respiratory Illness Clinic (VOERIC) on Monday.
The screening initiative since November 2023 has identified concerns over diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure, overweight and obesity across occupational groups routinely exposed to traffic emissions, road dust and construction-related pollutants.
Presenting the findings at a round table titled ‘Protecting Those Who Protect Our City’, Dr Ravindra M Mehta, Founder and Medical Director of VAAYU Chest & Sleep Specialists, said regular screening and longitudinal research were essential to understand long-term health consequences of occupational exposure. He cautioned that further research was needed to establish the extent to which workplace exposure contributed to specific respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes.
Dr Mehta says, “Annual medical screening would cost Rs 2,000-2,500 per worker, with costs potentially falling by around 25 per cent at scale. A proposed 5-6 year cohort study covering 750 BBMP personnel and 750 traffic police personnel would cost approximately Rs 10-15 lakh per month, drawing from government and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding if and when granted.”
Swetavalli Raghavan, adviser to the Karnataka Department of Health and Family Welfare, said, “A coordinated government approach was used in the Antimicrobial Resistance, with clearly defined responsibilities for each stakeholder.
Adjusting sanitation workers’ schedules to reduce exposure during peak traffic hours, improving occupational-health infrastructure and making protective equipment a contractual requirement for employers is recommended.”
Bengaluru Rural MP and cardiologist Dr CN Manjunath and cardiologist Dr Vivek Jawali highlighted the cardiovascular risks associated with air pollution, including heart attacks and strokes among younger people. Dr Gufran Beig discussed drone-based vertical air-quality monitoring to understand variations in pollutant concentrations. The round table called for regular screening, follow-up care, longitudinal research and coordinated policy action to protect Bengaluru’s frontline workforce.
