STATE OF GLOBAL AIR REPORT

According to the recently released State of Global Air Report, air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021, with China and India bearing the brunt of the global burden at 2.3 and 2.1 million deaths, respectively.

Background:

• The State of Global Air study provides a thorough examination of the conditions and patterns of air quality and health for every nation on the planet. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and the Health Effects Institute produces them every year.

Key takeaways from the report

• According to the report, air pollution ranks second only to high blood pressure as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to the report, it actually rates higher than tobacco usage as a primary cause of mortality and disability.
• India is one of the nations that suffers the most from air pollution, notwithstanding the dire state of the world economy.
• 55% of the world’s air pollution-related deaths occur in China (2.3 million deaths) and India (2.1 million deaths).
• In addition to particle matter, Indians are subjected to elevated ozone exposures.
• While long-term exposure to ozone is associated to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a condition where the lungs stay inflamed restricting the airways, short-term exposure has been connected to an exacerbation of asthma and other respiratory symptoms.
• According to the analysis, ozone exposure caused 489,000 deaths worldwide in 2021; of these, over 50%, or 237,000 deaths, occurred in the nation.
• With at least 169,400 deaths connected to air pollution in 2021, India also reported the highest number of pollution-related deaths among children under the age of five.
• Except for a brief decrease during the epidemic, records show that the number of deaths in India related to air pollution has been steadily rising.

Health challenge

• A major threat to public health is air pollution, which is now more of a risk factor for premature mortality than tobacco use and ranks second only to high blood pressure.
• Air pollution kills children, unlike high blood pressure and tobacco use, which primarily impact adults.

ROHINGYA REFUGEES IN INDIA

With the observation of World Refugee Day, the situation of Rohingya refugees is once again in the spotlight.

Context:

• The United Nations has declared World Refugee Day as a global celebration honoring refugees everywhere. June 20 is the annual celebration of the bravery and fortitude of those who have had to leave their nation of origin due to persecution or violence.

About Rohingyas:

• They are an ethnic minority of Muslims who originated in the Arakan kingdom in what was then known as Burma, or Myanmar.
• The Rohingya are different from Myanmar’s majority Buddhist population in terms of culture and religion.

Rohingyas in India:

• The Ministry of Home Affairs estimates that the Rohingya population in India is about forty thousand.
• Of them, just 14,000 have refugee ID cards issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which protects them from being detained arbitrarily.

Challenges faced by Rohingya refugees in India:

The following are the difficulties that Rohingya refugees in India encounter, per the report “A Shadow of Refuge: Rohingya Refugees in India”:

• Rohingya refugees who have finished their refugee status assessments with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and received approval for relocation from third countries are not being granted leave permits by India.
• Due to their status as illegal migrants, the Rohingya refugees in India have difficulties assimilating into society and the possibility of being sent back to Myanmar, their country of origin, where they were forced to flee a regime of genocide.
• The fear of deportation has instilled a sense of fear within the Rohingya community, compelling some to return to camps in Bangladesh.
• Rohingyas live in dire conditions such as slum-like settlements without safe running water, toilets, or access to basic healthcare and education.

CHENAB RIVER

Indian Railways successfully completed a trial run of the Chenab Rail Bridge, marking a significant historical achievement.

Context:

• Elevated 1,178 feet over the Chenab River, the bridge surpasses the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris by 35 meters. In Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, the bridge connects Bakkal and Kauri and is a vital route from Katra to Banihal.

Key Takeaways:

• The Chandra and Bhaga rivers meet at Tandi in the Lahaul and Spiti region of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to form the Chenab River.
• It is also referred to as the Chandrabhaga in its upper reaches.
• The source of the Bhaga river is the Surya Taal Lake, located in Himachal Pradesh a few kilometers west of the Bara-lacha la pass.
• East of the same pass, close to Chandra Taal, are the glaciers that feed the Chandra River.In addition, this pass separates the waterways of these two rivers.
• Before coming together at Tandi, the Chandra and Bhaga rivers travel 115 and 60 km, respectively, through slender gorges.
• The Chenab originates in Pakistan’s Punjab plains and runs through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir before joining the Indus River.
• It flows west between the sheer cliffs of the Lesser Himalayas (north) and the Siwalik Range (south) in Jammu and Kashmir union territory.
• It continues into Pakistan, veering southwest and dropping from the highlands into Punjab province’s vast alluvial lowlands.
• The Chenab drains into the Sutlej River, a tributary of the Indus River, after receiving the Jhelum River close to Trimmu.
• Pakistan is entitled to the waters of the Chenab, as per the terms of the Indus Water Treaty.
• Power generating and other non-consumptive applications are permitted in India.
• The Chenab River has several tributaries, including Sohal, Lidrari, Marusudar, Bhut Nalla, Miyar Nalla, and Thirot.
• This river in Jammu and Kashmir is notably crossed by the Chenab Bridge, the tallest railway bridge in the world.
• The world’s highest railway bridge, measuring an astonishing 1,315 meters in length and 359 meters above the riverbed level, is a component of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project.
• Innovative characteristics like blast resistance and less maintenance requirements were incorporated into the Chenab Bridge’s construction, demonstrating engineering prowess in difficult terrain.

METHANOL POISONING

As of Thursday, 38 people had died in the hooch catastrophe in the Kallakurichi area of Tamil Nadu, while 24 more were listed as critically ill. According to preliminary findings, serious illnesses and fatalities may have been caused by methanol, an extremely toxic type of alcohol that is sometimes added to illicit liquor to make it more potent.

Context:

• The tragedy forced the state government, led by the DMK, to order the district collector to be transferred and the Kallakurichi superintendent of police to be suspended immediately.

False Alcohol, or Hooch:

• While branded liquor is manufactured in facilities outfitted with advanced machinery and strict quality assurance, hooch is produced in considerably less refined environments. Hooch, to put it simply, is booze intended to get you wasted. However, if not prepared properly, it might be fatal.
• When methyl alcohol or methanol are added to alcohol to raise its concentration, the alcohol turns spurious.
• Methalinde alcohol is produced when hooch, a cane sugar derivative, is unsafely distilled.
• The addition of plants to offer flavors, which may react to form lethal compounds, causes the alcohol to become spurious.

Reasons behind the problem of methanol poisoning deaths due to spurious alcohol:

• Since it is primarily made illegally in rural communities, it is challenging for regulatory bodies to conduct an area inspection.
• The majority of locally owned breweries in the country produce liquor, and as demand increases, they turn to underground sales. This exposes the industry to corruption and lax control, which can result in incidents of hooch tragedies.
• Methyl alcohol and other impurities needed to make illicit booze are readily accessible.
• Over 50% of all alcohol drunk in India is accounted for by illicit and fake alcohol, according to the World Health Organization. This is because its pricing is lower than that of foreign liquor made in India.
• A few states, like Bihar and Gujarat, have outright banned alcohol, which contributes to the thriving black market for alcohol that is subsidized by neighboring states.

Consequences of methanol poisoning deaths due to spurious alcohol in India:

• Methanol, which is present in fake alcohol, can induce severe poisoning that, if left untreated, can result in a coma and death. It may also result in long-term neurological problems of the body’s organs, kidney failure, or lifelong blindness.
• The long-term effects of methanol intoxication and its treatment put a significant strain on the healthcare system.
• Families experience severe emotional and financial burden when a family member passes away unexpectedly from erroneous alcohol consumption.
• Crime rates rise as a result of the illicit production and sale of fake alcohol, including violent and corrupt crimes.