Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw attention to an important issue that many of us are either missing or overlooking.
In recent years, the popularity of 24/7 self study centres has surged, especially among the aspirants of competitive exams such as the UPSC, APPSC, APSSB, SSC, NEET and JEE, in Itanagar. These centres promise a distraction free, air-conditioned and peaceful environment – privileges that are often lacking in our homes or in rented apartments. But while these rooms may appear ideal on the surface, they often lack one essential element: clean, breathable air.
Most of these study hubs are sealed tightly to maintain silence and improve cooling efficiency. They rely solely on split air conditioners, which merely recirculate the same indoor air without bringing in any fresh oxygen or removing carbon dioxide and indoor pollutants. Ventilation system – the backbone of indoor air health – is either absent or neglected.
Now, imagine hundreds of students sitting in such enclosed rooms for 10-12 hours a day, every day, for months. The carbon dioxides level significantly rises over time, often exceeding 1,000 ppm (parts per million) – a level known to cause fatigue, headache, sleepiness, poor concentration and long-term respiratory issues. Lack of fresh air also allows volatile organic compounds (VOC) and dusts to accumulate, aggravating allergies and reducing cognitive performance.
It is deeply ironic that while these centres are meant to foster productivity and academic excellence, they may be silently harming the very minds they aim to sharpen.
I strongly urge the authorities concerned – municipal bodies, the Health Department and education regulators to:
a) Issue air quality and ventilation guidelines for private study centres.
b) Mandate fresh air ventilation or ERV (energy recovery ventilator) systems.
c) Encourage periodic air quality monitoring using affordable CO2 or PM2.5 sensors.
d) Educate students and owners about the risk of stale indoor air.
Let us not wait for another silent health crisis to arise among our youths. A quiet room is not always a healthy one, and clean air must be seen as a non-negotiable right in any learning space.
A concerned aspirant using one of these centres