Hookah joint 400% More toxic than Deonar dump'

Anti-smoking NGO survey paints a grim picture of pollution levels in city parlours, restaurants, pubs and country liquor bars

Take a deep breath, the next time you pass the Deonar dump a deeper one than you might do as you sip coffee at your favourite hookah palour.

Reason? The BMC's biggest dump is only one-fourth as toxic. This is what a recent survey conducted by anti-smoking NGO Healis Sekhsaria claims, as it compares the air quality at two of the city's dumps against country liquor bars and hookah parlours surveyed across the city.

According to measurements made by the NGO from March 19 to April 30 this year, the particulate matter levels per cubic metre (pm2.5 µg/m3) were nearly 400 per cent higher in hookah parlours compared to the Deonar dump.

Killer air

Director of Healis, Dr P C Gupta, said, "Many country liquor bars and hookah parlours we surveyed flout the smoking ban.

Often, the air within a smoking area eventually enters the non-smoking area, as the rooms are insufficiently ventilated," said Gupta.

Armed with personal aerosol monitors, members of the NGO spent at least one hour at restaurants, pubs, country liquor bars and hookah parlours across the city.

At the hookah parlours, the particulate levels were as high as 707.04 pm µg/m3, while at country liquor bars, the levels were at 326.56 µg/m3.

This is in stark comparison to the dumping grounds at Sudha Park in Ghatkopar and Shivaji Nagar at Deonar where levels of particulate stood at 148.5 pm µg/m3 and 169.5 pm µg/m3 respectively.

Exaggerated claims?

Hookah palour owners however feel that the NGO is stretching the facts.

"I have four exhausts in both my hookah parlours and 40 per cent of my electricity bill is spent on keeping the exhausts running. Our parlours are air-conditioned.

So, there's enough fresh air being pumped in and stale air being sucked out. This report is highly exaggerated," said restaurateur Rahul Kanal, who owns hookah parlours in Bandra and Andheri.

Statistics

Particulate matter levels

Sudha Park, Ghatkopar: 148.5

Shivaji Nagar, Deonar: 169.5

At country liquor bars: 326.56

At hookah restaurants: 707.04 Air Quality Index(measured in pm)

0-50: Good

51-100: Moderate

101-50: Unhealthy for sensitive group

151-200: Unhealthy

201-300: Very unhealthy

301-500: Hazardous