Asian brown cloud is dangerous, expert claims

India's winter haze poses dangers to the people living within it, an expert has suggested.

Dr J Srinivasan of the Indian Institute of Science's Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences was cited by the Times of India as saying the full effects of the so-called brown cloud may be unknown, "though its adverse impact on health of the people is clear".

"There has been much debate about the long-term impact of winter haze in India, but the fact remains that the issue is complicated and not yet well understood," he added.

The Asian brown cloud has been observed for just under a decade and is allegedly the cause of crop damage and changing rainfall patterns in the area around the north Indian Ocean.

A report on the cloud written by the United Nations was issued last week, with China said to be affected by it along with India, UPI reported.