On Diwali and Kali Puja in West Bengal, a haze enveloped Kolkata and its surroundings, exacerbated by poor air quality resulting from firecracker bursts, according to state pollution control board officials. The Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 250 in areas like Ballygunje, Jadavpur, Fort William, Victoria Memorial in the city, and Ghusuri in the neighboring Howrah district by 6 pm on Sunday. Such readings on automated monitoring stations indicated poor air quality. The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) headquarters at Paribesh Bhavan maintained a functioning control room, with drone surveillance and mobile teams deployed at various hotspots in the city and adjacent regions.
Air monitoring station data revealed an AQI of 216 (PM 2.5) at Rabindra Sarobar, 257 at Ballygunje, 276 at Victoria Memorial, 267 at Jadavpur, 255 at Fort William, 243 at Bidhannagar, 183 at Rabindra Bharati University, and 262 at Ghusuri at 6 pm. The poor air quality, not solely attributed to firecrackers, was influenced by weather conditions during this season when small particulate matters lingered in the air amid fog and smoke.
The previous day recorded a higher AQI, with Ballygunge, Victoria Memorial, and Bidhan Nagar at 300 (very poor). In Rabindra Sarobar, it was 243 (poor), while Jadavpur and Fort William registered 268 (poor), according to PCB readings. Environmentalist Naba Dutta expressed concern about a post-sunset escalation in pollution due to firework celebrations, warning of potential respiratory problems if pollution levels worsen. The AQI scale categorizes between zero and 50 as ‘good,’ 51 and 100 as ‘satisfactory,’ 101 and 200 as ‘moderate,’ 201 and 300 as ‘poor,’ 301 and 400 as ‘very poor,’ and 401 and 500 as ‘severe.’
Post Your Comments