One thorn in the real estate bloom is its role in the rise of various allergic diseases, say city dermatologists.

Cement, the indispensable material for any real estate development, is polluting the air with a potential allergen. ?Potassium di-chromate, which Indian cements are replete with, triggers allergy,? said dermatologist Sanjay Ghosh.

?More and more people are seeking help after being affected by airborne allergies initiated by this compound, especially in the urban and semi-urban areas, where real estate activities are rampant,? the dermatologist added.

?Thirty per cent of the cases of airborne contact allergies are caused by potassium di-chromate. In a city where the air quality is very poor, the compound becomes doubly dangerous,? he elaborated.

The airborne compound causes allergy in the exposed parts of the body, like the face, neck and the eyelids.

To tackle the adverse effect of cement, developed countries are using a variety that contains less-allergic potassium bi-chromate, Ghosh said.

Speaking at the inauguration of his ?super-speciality? skin treatment and research centre, Institute of Allergic and Immunologic Skin Diseases, on Saturday, Ghosh said 20 per cent of all diseases registered in the city are related to the skin.

Ten to 12 per cent of the registered cases of skin diseases are allergic and immunologic in nature, he said.

Echoing the view, D.N. Gangopadhyay, dermatologist and president of the Bengal chapter of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists, said: ?Cement is a major headache for dermatologists in the city.?

Ghosh, also medical director of the institute, said various perfumes and deodorants cause airborne allergies.

?Ten per cent of the total cases of allergies in this city are caused by perfumes and deodorants, irrespective of their price tags or brands.?

Inaugurating the institute, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee lauded Ghosh for his initiative: ?This skin care centre is a welcome addition to our city?s healthcare scene. As a citizen of Calcutta, I feel proud of this clinic.?

Stressing the need for more such centres, Gangopadhyay said that in this age of specialisation, a single doctor cannot treat skin diseases of all types.

?There are 2,000 varieties of such ailments. So, a centre must have an integrated specialists? network. This clinic has one,? he explained.

Ghosh warned that skin diseases have been increasing at galloping rates, in incidence and complexity, by the day.

Talking about the institute, he said it has nine speciality clinics. ?There are few institutions in this country that can provide the service that one can avail of here. Besides, our institution will have a combined speciality clinic, where doctors from other specialities will take part. So, in case of some specific skin diseases that are linked with other branches of medicine, we can consult them.?

Ghosh also plans to spread allergy awareness among the masses. ?This institute will take active part in spreading awareness among patients, as well as members of their families. We will hold seminars and awareness programmes in the urban and rural areas. The slums will get special emphasis, as they wallow in poor hygiene and lack of awareness,? he signed off.