Amid the headlines highlighting festive noise pollution, the use of laser lights during celebrations has now come under scrutiny. In a recent incident, a young man from the Sinhagad Road area suffered significant damage to his retina, rendering him partially blind due to exposure to laser lights during the Ganesh Visarjan procession.
The affected individual, 23-year-old Aniket from Sinhagad Road, participated in the Ganesha Visarjan procession at Parvati Paytha. While dancing to the beats of the procession's DJ, a laser light hit one of Aniket's eyes. Surprisingly, he did not experience immediate pain or discomfort in the eye, but his vision became severely blurred. Aniket revealed the information at a press conference held in Pune and said that he lost nearly 70 percent of his vision in one eye.
Following this distressing incident, Aniket sought treatment at an eye clinic on Sinhagad Road. Ophthalmologist Dr. Anil Dudhbhate who is treating Aniket confirmed that his retina had suffered damage due to laser light exposure also known as laser burn. Aniket is currently undergoing treatment.
What is laser burn?
The use of laser lights, often accompanied by drum beats, has become a popular trend during festive processions. However, it poses a significant risk to the eyes, as laser burns can lead to severe damage to the retina. This risk is amplified when the laser's power exceeds 5 milliwatts, and even short exposures of just 10 seconds can cause harm.
A laser burn is a term used to describe a type of injury to the skin or other body tissues caused by exposure to a laser beam. Laser burns occur when high-energy laser light interacts with living tissue, causing damage. These burns can vary in severity depending on factors such as the type of laser, the wavelength of the laser light, the power of the laser, and the duration of exposure.
Such cases need immediate medical attention
While speaking with the Free Press Journal, Dr Anil Dudhbhate stressed the importance of seeking immediate medical attention for individuals facing similar issues to Aniket. He also emphasised the urgent need for regulations and restrictions on the use of laser lights to prevent such incidents from recurring during festivals like Navratri and Diwali, safeguarding the well-being of innocent people.
