Bengaluru: Improving health quality requires not only developing healthcare infrastructure, but also maintaining our surrounding pollution free, asserted Member of Parliament and former Director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Dr C.N. Manjunath here on Wednesday.

Inaugurating a day long Net Zero Summit held in city by the Centre for Sustainable Development, he said that three types of pollution, air, water and sand pollutions pose huge challenge for the public health. Many think that air pollution cases respiratory problems. But studies show that pollutant particles of less than 2.5 mg if inhaled can cause heart attacks and strokes. Hence it is important to maintain our surroundings clean and pollution free to live healthy, he added.

Pointing out that living in bigger cities is no more a matter of joy due to rampant pollutions, Dr Manjunath listed out health issues air pollutions can cause on a human being. Apart for fatal heart attacks, air pollution can create irregular heartbeats which in turn can worsen heart failures, miscarriages among women and even child born in such condition may be weak and expose to health problems, he warned.

Earlier addressing the gathering K.Srinivasulu, 2Secretary of Environment and Forest Department asserted that forests play vital role in maintaining ecology. Technology is playing with nature. But nature has the strength to hit back. Hence it is important to nourish forests for the good of the society, he added.