Pollen Calendar: Chandigarh
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Panjab University have created a Pollen Calendar (PC) for Chandigarh, arguably the first for any city in India.
- The pollen calendar was created after studying airborne pollen and its seasonal variations for about two years.
- PCs represent the time dynamics of airborne pollen present in a particular geographical area. They yield readily accessible visual details about various airborne pollen present throughout the year in a single picture.
- PCs are location-specific, with concentrations closely related to locally distributed flora.
- Europe, UK and the US are using regional pollen calendars in a big way to prevent and diagnose allergic rhinitis/hay fever and predict the timing and severity of the pollen season.
- Pollen grains are male biological structures with the primary role of fertilisation, but when inhaled by humans, they may strain the respiratory system and cause allergies.
- Pollen is released by plants, making millions of people suffer from hay fever, pollinosis and allergic rhinitis.
- About 20-30% of the population suffers from allergic rhinitis or hay fever in India, and approximately 15% develop Asthma.
- According to a study by PGIMER, Airborne pollen dominating seasons are spring and autumn with maximum species when the phenological and meteorological parameters are considered favorable for pollen grains’ growth, dispersion, and transmission.
