Control pollution for better health

Dear Sir,Thisis in response to the article, ‘Global pollution kills 9mn a year’ onOctober 21 and the viewpoint, ‘Urgent global action to tackle killer airpollution’ on October 22 in Gulf Times. Both of them were eye-openers.Air pollution has already claimed the lives of several million people,especially in Asia and Africa. The underdeveloped and developing nationsof these continents do not give much importance to air pollutioncontrol, given that they struggle with their poor economy and populationgrowth. The average life span of the people in such countries is low ascompared to the developed nations. The people too do not take airpollution seriously and they are also partly responsible for itsconsequences. For instance, even on the last Diwali day which fell onOctober 18, smoke caused due to the bursting of fire crackers wasalarming in Delhi where it was banned by the court. The people of Delhihave failed to take a cue from the alarming air pollution due to thesame reason last year. Further, vehicles which belch smoke are still inuse in the developing nations.Owing to air pollution, many prematuredeaths occur in poor nations. Adults too suffer from lung diseases.China, which has a large number of industries, is also badly affected byair pollution. It is now imperative to increase efforts to tacklethis serious problem. Better late than never. Let  the governments ofthe affected nations as well as the people living there do all that theycan so that air pollution may be contained. C Robinson, robin_son_ch@yahoo.co.in‘Baba Gurgur’ is Turkish, not KurdishDear Sir, Withreference to an article published in Gulf Times’s Business section onOctober 19 under the heading “Fight for Iraq’s future targets90-year-old Kirkuk oil field”, I would like to point out that the term‘Baba Gurgur’ is not the name of the oldest well. It is actually thename of the place where the flame shot out of the ground as a result ofignition of escaped gas. It is a place where I personally used to visitwhen I was a child.The term ‘Baba Gurgur’ (Father of Fire) is a Turkish term and not a Kurdish term as was stated in the article.Thisinformation is a fact and well-documented by many travellers andhistorians. I just thought it is appropriate to make this correction foryour readers.Emad Turkman  MBE, DohaStray cat menace on Airport RoadDear Sir,Ilive on the Airport Road, opposite Al Mana Tower and I find that thereare far too many stray cats in this area. Most of the time there arecats sleeping on my car and there are a lot of cat paw prints on it too.I had the car washed recently but the very next morning I foundmuddy paw prints all over the car. A very disappointing sight indeed.   Could the authorities concerned  take some urgent action regardingthis matter. Also, if someone could suggest a place where I could make acomplaint about this.  (Name and e-mail ID provided)Please send us your  letters By e-mail: editor@gulf-times.com