KOCHI: Pollution is also behind a rise in the number of cancer patients in Eloor. The average number of cancer patients in a panchayat in Kerala is 15-20, but in Eloor it is around 80.
If one goes by the number of tuberculosis patients in terms of population, it should be below five, but in Eloor municipality there are already 14 patients. Some of them are children. The number of asthma patients in Kerala is 14.2 per 1,000 people. Eloor is way ahead in this regard as the prevailing rate here is 72.8. Skin diseases, lung ailments, allergy and renal failures are rampant among the people living in the Eloor-Edayar industrial cluster.
“Pure drinking water is not available in Eloor municipality. This is the major cause of diseases. The water here has iron residue. The nearest area where consumable drinking water is available is Manjummal, which is 3 km away. Majority of the companies in the area are chemical industries. The discharge from these companies is not treated properly. Now dense smoke plagues the area. Sulphur and chlorine leakage happens frequently. Though guidelines have been set up regarding the discharge of waste, companies are not willing to abide by them,” said a health official of Eloor municipality.
Considering the health risk faced by the people in the region due to pollution, a health insurance scheme was implemented in 2010 to cover around 3,700 families with `30,000 as annual total benefit. But the policy was not renewed after a year.
“The health insurance scheme was implemented following a study conducted by Rajagiri School of Social Science.
The graph of diseases in Eloor remains high only due to the pollution caused by the industries in the area. The health insurance scheme was envisaged to collect the premium amount from the industries, so that the people are not liable.
But one year after its launch the project did not go further. Since the people here find it difficult to pay for the medical expenses incurred a health insurance scheme would have been of much help to them,” said Purushan Eloor.
A case in connection with the non-implementation of the insurance scheme is pending with the Green Tribunal now.
