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‘Nothing more to life here’: Residents in this Indian village have been consumed by cancer

According to government data, the world’s most populous country recorded about 1.4 million new cancer cases in 2022.

‘Nothing more to life here’: Residents in this Indian village have been consumed by cancer

Vipin Rathee (R), who was diagnosed with a malignant tumour in his stomach in 2022, with fellow residents of Gangnauli village in Uttar Pradesh, India.

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GANGNAULI, India: What looks like any other North Indian village hides a sinister statistic.

Gangnauli, located in Uttar Pradesh state about two hours from the capital New Delhi, is home to a population ravaged by cancer.

Locals estimate that about a third of its roughly 5,000 residents have the disease, although there is no official data to confirm this.

Vipin Rathee, who is among the affected patients, was diagnosed with a malignant tumour in his stomach two years ago. His health has been on a steady decline even after eight rounds of chemotherapy.

His resources have now been exhausted after paying for medical care.

“I’m seeing most of the villagers here facing the same problem. People have spent a lot of money on medical treatments and expenditure continues to this day. There’s really no help here from anyone,” he told CNA.

A report – released earlier this year by Indian multinational healthcare group Apollo Hospitals – dubbed India the cancer capital of the world, projecting that it could record roughly 1.6 million new cancer cases by next year.

According to government data, the country recorded about 1.4 million new cases in 2022.

Projections further show a rise of 13.9 million cancer cases in total from 2020 to 15.7 million cases next year. This is a 13 per cent increase within five years, said the report.

The issue also recently came into focus after the country’s government slashed import duties on three crucial cancer medicines.

COULD POLLUTED WATER BE THE PROBLEM?

What caused the cancer scourge in Gangnauli could be the water consumed by locals, according to what doctors told Vipin.

The Krishna River, which is the country’s third-longest river and serves as the lifeline of about 6,000 households in the village, is severely polluted with industrial waste from nearby sugar and paper mills.

Locals have also blamed the water on some children being born with bone deformities.

While their families said these young ones have not been diagnosed with cancer yet, the spectre of the disease looms large.

Water from the river and its tributaries are the common link among dozens of villages in the region and a reported rise in cancer rates. Last year, a leader from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party went as far as telling parliament that the water was a “source of cancer” for 100 villages.

The scourge has cast a spotlight on how environmental factors might lead to cancer in a country where two-thirds of the population live in villages with minimal healthcare services.

India’s National Green Tribunal, a statutory body that handles environmental disputes, has ordered multiple investigations into the polluters. 

Despite some action, however, locals said not much has changed.

Locals prepare to fish in Krishna River in Srisailam, about 232 kilometers south of Hyderabad, India, Friday, Dec.16, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

NEW ADVANCES, SCHEMES

Gangauli may be an extreme case, but the situation in other parts of the country is not much better. 

Doctors said the rising cancer rates nationwide are due to rapid industrialisation, increasing longevity, changing lifestyles and possible environmental factors.

Still, new advances in the field of medical sciences and pharmacology are offering hope.

“I can name any number of drugs that, five years ago, we would not have imagined that we would be able to give to our patients on a routine basis,” said Dr Amita Mahajan, senior consultant at Apollo Hospitals.

“But with … public-private partnership and with a lot of schemes, we’re now able to give these drugs to the people.”

One of these schemes includes the government removing tariffs on three crucial imported cancer medicines to make care more affordable. 

Several funds - including a federal health insurance scheme, a financial assistance program tailored to the poorest and a cancer fund – have also been set up.

But for Gangnauli’s residents, access to care remains their primary challenge and something they hope local authorities will address soon.

One resident, Akshay Rathee, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 16. It upended his education and destroyed his plans of becoming a professional wrestler.

He is now determined to change his circumstances, and has made studying to secure a government job his main aim in life.

“I want to leave (Gangnauli) and I want to take my family with me,” he added.

“If we stay here, we’re all just going to fall sick. There’s nothing more to life here.”

Source: CNA/lt(ja)
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