how to reduce air pollution in kolkata

Air Pollution in Kolkata, Causes, Effects & Control Measures

• 1.1 Causes of Air pollution in Kolkata:
• 1.2.1.1 Car pooling
• 1.2.1.2 Pollution checks on all vehicles
• 1.2.1.3 Cleaning drives –
• 1.2.1.4 Control on construction –
• 1.3 Pollution Level in Kolkata
• 1.4 Air Pollution in Kolkatta Statistics
• 2 Control Measures to Reduce Air Pollution

Air Pollution in Kolkata

Air pollution has become a major issue in India in recent times, and is not confined to a major territory or state. In almost all major cities of India, the quality is air turning out to be very bad and causing many health issues among the public.

All the major cities are highly polluted and one among them is Kolkata, which isn’t in much of attention as compared to air pollution in Delhi . Kolkata previously known as Calcutta is one of the metropolitan city and capital of West Bengal.

It is a less known fact that, Kolkata has surpassed Delhi in terms of pollution. Kolkata is a metropolitan city and according to sources, it is being ranked as second most polluted city in the country and its air quality index is declining faster than that of Delhi.

With the increase in number of vehicles on roads, lack of infrastructural facilities, industrialisation are some of the reasons that has lead to pollution in the city.

Due to rapid growth in the population and urbanisation many trees have been cut down and this has lead to more of bad quality of air in the atmosphere. To this lazy attitude of government and citizens, has added to more pollution and deterioration of quality of air. There are plenty of old vehicles which emit smoke and there is no pollution check done to these vehicles.

As the winter arrives, there is smog everywhere and especially at the time of Diwali when firecrackers are burnt, people sit around fire to keep themselves warm, burning of wood etc. cause the smog increase and the whole city is covered with poor quality of air, resulting in many health hazards.

Causes of Air pollution in Kolkata:

There are many factors that lead to air pollution in Kolkata, which is the reason for many health issues and smog in the city.

Some of the causes are:

• The main cause of pollution in Kolkata is transportation. There are many old vehicles plying in the city which use petrol and diesel. There is no check on these vehicles and they emit many harmful gases. According to sources over 95% of population is caused due to diesel based vehicles and commercial vehicles. Along with this, there are lot of public transport   like autos, trams, open buses which are in poor condition. Apart from this these high number of vehicles both personal and commercial cause traffic and congestion, leading to more wastage of fuel and commuting time.
• There are thermal power plants in and around the city which cause pollution both in air as well as water. There are many small scale industries in the city area which lead to pollution and making it difficult for people around them to breathe.
• Use of plastic is one of the other issues in Kolkata, although government made many attempts to ban the use of plastic. Kolkata has been slower in implementing the same. May people use plastic bags daily and these plastic bags are either burnt or thrown in water. Burning plastic not only gives a bad smell, but also pollutes the air and emits harmful gasses.
• Trash burning is carried on a regular basis. There are huge dump-yards where huge quantities of trash is being burned regularly, causing pollution in the air.
• With the raising population and urbanisation, construction of new buildings are being done, therefore leading to construction dust like cement, wood trash etc. To give space to new constructions, trees are being chopped off, which do not give any fresh or new air.

Effects of air pollution in Kolkata:

Air pollution leads to many health hazards making it difficult to people breathe and survive in a clean environment. According to experts and doctors, Kolkata should also take measures same as in Delhi to deal with air pollution or it will lead to serious health issues among the public.

More deaths due to lung cancer and heart attacks are the major concern in the present era. The most effected are the school going and college going students, who fall prey for asthma. People who are on roads for long periods such as dwellers, hawkers, drivers of public transport are at more risk than anyone, as they inhale more of these harmful gasses.

People are at high risk of respiratory disorders and other disorders due to rising air pollution. People also suffer from irritation in eyes, sneezing, cough, allergies and body rashes.

Measures to Prevent Air Pollution in Kolkata:

Citizens of Kolkata have been taking a keen interest in preventing pollution and saving many lives. Some of them are:

Car pooling

People in Kolkata are trying out car pooling to reduce number of vehicles in roads, authorities, should encourage public to go for car polling regularly. This will decrease movement of more number of vehicles and traffic on roads.

Pollution checks on all vehicles

Government should take steps to consider pollution checks on all the vehicles in the city with strict measures and penalties for those not complying with rules.

Cleaning drives –

Cleaning of roads and other public places must be carried out regularly, this will stop from accumulation of duct particles.

Control on construction –

Construction activities should be regulated and stopped in some areas.

• Use a dust mask whenever you step outside of home, which prevents from bad air entering into your system.

Pollution Level in Kolkata

The Air Quality Index (AQI), in Kolkata showed, 409 in Nov’2018 and 415 in Dec’2018, which is considered as “Poor”.   The city residents breathe 5 times of bad air and around 71% of people suffer from respiratory diseases.

Most of the people suffering from respiratory diseases are non-smoking people. Many people are under risk of cancer. The smoke is equal to smoking of 22 cigarettes on an average. People who excercise in the mornings inhale deeper and this leads to more penetration of bad air in their lungs.

Air Pollution in Kolkatta Statistics

Pollution levels rise rapidly in winter due to low speed of wind and damp weather. Kolkata, as usual has a damp weather and the dust particles get trapped easily. PM2.5 is not available during all the seasons but it increases at the start of winter even the Air Quality index raises above 300/400 during the winter season. The pollution and bad air quality is at peak during night time and early in the morning.

Control Measures to Reduce Air Pollution

While government is taking many steps to control the pollution and its effects, these steps are to be taken urgently to reduce the pollution, as it is causes serious health effects to citizens and natural life.

Here are the steps taken by the authorities to solve the situation:

• Since the city’s design is compact, it helps to keep the trips short. Walk and cycling would help reduce traffic and congestion, the smoke emitting from vehicles.
• Strict parking policies and lesser roads would also force citizens from using their own vehicles.
• Monitoring the thermal power plants.
• Improvising public transport, like frequency, speed and comfort. So that public uses more of public transport than their own vehicles, leading to lesser vehicles on roads.

Air pollution is becoming a big and rising issue day by day, if this is not controlled it is going to kill all the natural life slowly. Strict control measures are need of the hour, if this is not done, citizens of all age groups including unborn kids are going to suffer.

Dangerous gasses such as Nitrogen, Hydrocarbons have been found to depleting the natural sources. People residing in low level areas such as slums or near factories are the worst sufferers and they have many disease which are accused due to the bad quality of air.

Government should take proper   measures to spread awareness among public about effects of air pollution on their lives. Citizens are also obliged to take initiatives to help save the environment and future generations.

Planting of trees, carpooling, building of more parks etc. would help in fighting the pollution. Redesigning the infrastructure such as roads and transport system, would also help to great extent.

Air quality keeps deteriorating every season, although many steps have been taken and many laws have been implemented, the public and concerned authorities pay a deaf ear to it. This attitude must be changed, or the effects will be very dangerous. .

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Kolkata tackles pollution problem with public transport solutions

Kolkata has deployed more electric buses and ferries in an effort to curb emissions – and it's working. Image:  REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri

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Kolkata is pioneering greener commutes citywide – and thanks to an innovative project to deploy more electric buses and ferries, the city now ranks fifth on a list of places that are reducing their annual emissions.

In fact, Kolkata is just behind megacities Chengdu, Delhi, London and New York in terms of reducing carbon emissions.

The Cities100 report highlights the forward-thinking and innovative climate action projects in cities around the globe – and they’re often surpassing national targets.

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Poor air quality leads to depression and bipolar disorder, study finds, 7 shocking facts about air pollution, what would happen if we removed cars from cities.

With the number of people forecasted to live in urban settings on the rise, cities are the frontlines in the fight against climate change. The World Economic Forum estimates almost 70% of the global population will live in cities by 2050 . And it’s not just the need to stop climate change that’s spurring policy change – there’s also a pressing need to cut air pollution.

Dirty air kills an estimated 7 million people worldwide every year and 9 out of 10 people breathe air with high levels of pollutants, says the World Health Organization. India’s cities are among the worst, when ranked by levels of particulate matter.

Four of the five most polluted cities in the world are located in South Asia, according to the World Air Quality Report 2018 . And 99% of all the cities in the region fail to meet the WHO annual guideline for one type of particulate matter, PM 2.5.

Kolkata averaged a PM 2.5 concentration of 85.4 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) of air in 2018, more than eight times the recommended limit of 10 µg/m³.

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But, hopefully, change is on the way, as Kolkata invests in and improves its public transport options. The city plans to deploy 5,000 electric buses and fully electrify the ferries on the Ganges River by 2030.

Air pollution was just one factor that pushed the West Bengal State Government to transition to electric transportation. It also makes financial sense, since battery-operated buses are cheaper to run, with a third of the operational costs of a diesel bus.

As of 2019, 80 electric buses have been introduced to the city, with another 100 planned for 2020. These 180 electric buses will lead to an annual reduction of 14,086 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

The Cities100 report says others can learn from Kolkata. In this case, the government provided 60% of the funds for the initial 80 electric buses and helped install the charging infrastructure.

The report also noted how partnerships can foster rapid transitions. For example, the long-term vision both at the state and national levels enabled Kolkata to set out the strategy to transition its entire bus and ferry fleets to electric.

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Climate Change

Rising air pollution in west bengal no longer a kolkata syndrome.

Lack of adequate monitoring of polluting industries beyond Kolkata among causes behind the trend, claim activists

By Jayanta Basu

Published: tuesday 29 june 2021.

Air pollution in Kolkata — often considered on a par with Delhi for being the most polluted metropolitan city in the country — declined during 2017-19. But the trend was not observed for West Bengal, where air pollution rose during the period, particularly in rural districts .

The State of Environment Report, West Bengal 2021, published recently by West Bengal Pollution Control Board (PCB) and released by state’s environment minister Ratna De Nag, documented the trend based on particulate matter (PM) 10, fine particulate pollution and data generated under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme.

An analysis of the National Clean Air programme by environmental non-profit Climate Trends showed that the trend continued even in 2021. Lack of adequate monitoring on polluting industries beyond Kolkata was the main cause behind the trend, claimed environment activists. 

West Bengal, in 2019, accounted for the second-highest number of deaths linked to air pollution — 20.8 per cent of overall deaths — after Rajasthan in the country.

Pollution strides in districts

West Bengal’s average annual PM 10 pollution showed an upward trend from 2017 through 2019 — to 100.17 micrograms per cubic meters of air in 2019 from 90.29 micrograms per cubic meters in 2018, and 84.34 micrograms per cubic meters of air in 2017. It rose to more than one-fifth in three years.

The onus of the rise mainly fell on districts away from Kolkata.

PM 2.5, considered more potent than PM 10, was not considered for the analysis.

As many as 15 of 22 districts in Bengal in 2017 recorded annual average PM10 level higher than the nationally permissible limit of 60 micrograms. The number of non-attainment districts rose to 20 in 2018; and in 2019, only Kalimpong’s average PM 10 level (57.51 micrograms) was within the national limit. 

Bardhaman (undivided) topped the pollution chart with 171.95 micrograms per cubic meter PM 10 concentration , nearly three times above limit. It accounts for 60 per cent of the rural population in the state. Bankura district, with highest rural population at 91.7 percent in the state, came second (142.17 micrograms per cubic meter PM10 concentration).

Districts such as Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Paschim Medinipur recorded more than 100 micrograms annual average PM 10 level, which is 40 per cent above the limit.

Between March and May 2021, nine of the 10 most polluted locations in West Bengal recorded a PM 2.5 concentration higher than the safe limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board, according to Climate Trends analysis.

District stations like Durgapur and Asansol claimed the first and third most polluting spots; Rabindra Bharati in Kolkata was at the second spot.

“We have written to all district magistrates and superintendents of police to keep a close watch on polluting industries in the districts,” said Kalyan Rudra, chairman of state pollution control board.

Kolkata pollution declining, but still very high

Kolkata continues to have about 40 per cent higher toxic PM 10 load compared to national permissible limit , despite signs of declining.  

PCB report showed the annual average of PM 10 and PM 2.5 were 105.1 and 56.4 micrograms per cubic meter in Kolkata during 2019. This was about 10-20 per cent lower than the comparative statistics in 2017, but still way over the respective national limits.

The report said concentration of nitrogen oxide, a pollutant mainly gushed out by diesel-driven vehicles along with the industries, increased marginally in 2019 compared to 2018 within the city limit.

“We could significantly control air pollution in Kolkata during the last few years due to a range of actions we took over time,” said Rudra.

But the analysis by Climate Trends sounds an alarm bell: The summer PM 2.5 pollution in Kolkata plummeted from 41.8 micrograms to 28 micrograms from 2019 to 2020 due to the restrictions imposed in the wake of the pandemic. But the levels rose to 37.4 micrograms again this year, touching the pre-pandemic levels.

Rampant industrial violation a major culprit 

Green activists claimed that rampant violation of green norms in districts, particularly those within the industrial belt, has been the main cause of the increase air pollution levels in areas beyond Kolkata.

“The state PCB tries to control pollution only in Kolkata as people, judiciary and media attention rests there. Monitoring in districts is generally poor particularly in Barddhaman and Bankura, as sponge iron, ferro-alloy and other industries generate pollution unabated. We have been getting this feedback from the local people for quite some time and now, PCB report confirms it,” said Naba Dutta, activist and secretary of environmental platform Sabuj Mancha.

Activist Subhas Datta, who has moved judiciary a number of times on the issue of air pollution, pointed out that Kolkata has only become cleaner by default as it has largely outsourced its pollution.

“Polluting industries have been mostly shifted from cities, so have the polluted commercial vehicles under court order. Many of these have ended up in rural areas,triggering pollution in the belt,” he said.

They claimed that moderately / less polluting industries have an almost free run as district industrial centres, to whom PCB has largely outsourced the responsibility of monitoring such industries in districts, do not have the capacity or the infrastructure to undertake the task.

Rudra, however, attributed the rise in pollution in these districts to stubble burning and trans-boundary pollution. He, however, admitted that wider data collection and studies were required to assess the actual dynamics.

“We are already in the process of setting up air pollution monitoring stations in West Bengal and have given Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi the responsibility to analyse the result. The pandemic, unfortunately, has pushed back the initiative,” Rudra said.

Only seven districts currently have the infrastructure to measure PM 2.5; and several districts with high PM 10 value fail to measure the most toxic pollutant.    

‘Soil pollution may be a factor’

“The trend and data set is interesting and needs a detailed analysis; but on the outset it seems that the soil may be a potent source behind the rise in districts,” said Sagnik De, a scientist from IIT-Delhi, who has been engaged with state PCB on analysing the trend.

“I feel that apart from the critical role played by local large, medium and small polluting industries, soil pollution in villages may be contributing to the trend,” said Abhijit Chatterjee, a scientist from Bose Institute.

They said trans-boundary sources have a minimal role in the trend. “PM 10, being denser particulate, is unlikely to travel a long path as may be possible for finer PM 2.5,” said De.    

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Clearing the Air: Indian Cities Fight to Reduce Pollution

NRDC leaders launched and discussed a new issue brief Clearing the Air: Highlights of City Actions to Reduce Air Pollution. The issue brief examines city actions from 10 cities, including Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, Pune, and Surat.

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Leaders and experts from around the world gathered for the 20th World Sustainable Development Summit to accelerate action on climate change and to work toward a healthier environment for all.

Air quality was a major area of focus given the air pollution crisis facing Indian cities, which are already grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading cities are taking action to fight air pollution, as discussed during several sessions and in a new issue brief released at WSDS .

Because air quality problems in India are often driven by pollution from the same fossil fuels that accelerate climate change , actions to reduce harmful emissions at their sources can achieve major wins for public health in the near-term and long-term, for the environment, and for India’s economy. Given the air pollution implications with COVID-19, protecting lung health take on a greater urgency.

Several India cities developed local Clean Air Plans (CAPs) to meet air quality targets under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) about a year ago in early 2020, as discussed in an earlier issue brief from NRDC and partners. Since then, leading cities have been working to implement CAPs through efforts to control pollution from vehicles, thermal plants, solid waste and other sources.

To support CAP implementation, the national government increased funding to cities to improve air quality through a new performance-based grant program from the Finance Commission (FC)  in late 2020. The recent budget allocates over ₹2200 crore ($302 million) to fight air pollution in 42 cities to supplement the Financial Commission and NCAP efforts.  

Highlighted City Action on Air Pollution

A year in, what progress has been made by cities in implementing programs to address India’s air pollution challenges? During two sessions at WSDS, NRDC leaders launched and discussed a new issue brief Clearing the Air: Highlights of City Actions to Reduce Air Pollution . The issue brief examines city actions from 10 cities, including Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, Pune, and Surat.

During the plenary session, “Future of Air: Progress and Constraints,” NRDC’s President and Chief Counsel  Mitchell Bernard launched the new issue brief and NRDC President Emerita Frances Beinecke discussed the issue brief during the thematic session “Cleaning the Air in Indian Cities.” The issue brief is part of an annual effort by NRDC and partners the Indian Institute of Public Health- Gandhinagar (IIPH-G) and Centre for Environment Education (CEE). NRDC and partners are working with Ahmedabad  and  Pune to strengthen local air pollution knowledge, capacity, and solutions.

Key examples of city actions include:

• The National Capital Region created a new Commission for Air Quality Management dedicated to developing and implementing pollution control strategies for the Delhi airshed.
• New Delhi finalized one of India’s most comprehensive EV policies in 2020 to reduce pollution from vehicles.
• Ahmedabad is working to reduce emissions from its largest landfill in Pirana, and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board plans to extend the ETS pilot program to industries in and around the city.
• Bengaluru is using FC grants for stronger enforcement and compliance, including for vehicular emissions, fugitive dust and municipal solid waste burning.
• Pune initiated a strategic health risk communication program in the form of the Pune Air Information and Response plan , as well as measures to improve and develop non-motorized transportation options on key city routes.
• Surat along with the Gujarat Pollution Control Board is implementing one of the world’s first pilot programs for Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) for particulate matter.

While Indian cities have made progress on monitoring, consistent monitoring and reporting are needed along with stronger compliance and enforcement. Cites need to ensure that the FC grants used on projects maximize air pollution reductions. In addition, local and regional capacities must be strengthened to develop and implement effective air quality management strategies to meet clean air targets and reduce the health impact of poor air quality.

Strong leadership and ambitious actions at the city level can help deliver transformative and lasting improvements for public health in India’s fight against dangerous air pollution and climate change.

Polash Mukerjee and Marie McNamara contributed to this blog. 

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AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS FOR Kolkata

How polluted is the city of kolkata.

Kolkata, sometimes known as the city of joy, is located approximately 80km away from the border to Bangladesh, and is the capital city of the Indian state of Bengal. Famous for its long history of culture, commerce as well as literary and artistic thought, it attracts many visitors, both internationally and locally, as well as having a rapidly growing and somewhat large population of inhabitants, some four and a half million as recorded in 2011, and with 14.85 million as of 2020, showing massive growth not only economically but in regards to the amount of people living within the megacity limits.

Kolkata was shown to have a PM2.5 reading of 59.8 as recorded in 2019, as a yearly average. This puts it directly into the ‘unhealthy’ bracket rating, which requires a PM2.5 reading of anywhere between 55.5 to 150.4 μg/m³ to be classified as such. This reading places it in the position of 61 st most polluted city worldwide in 2019, and coming in at 28 th place out of all cities ranked in India. This shows that Kolkata is indeed very polluted, and whilst it may not suffer from the same extreme levels of pollution that other cities do, it certainly has many months that see very hazardous levels of pollution.

When is pollution at its worst in Kolkata?

Observing the data recorded over 2019, the one month that stood out above all others was January, which came in with a PM2.5 reading of 176.1 μg/m³, putting it squarely into the ‘very unhealthy’ bracket, one which requires a reading of any PM2.5 number between 150.5 μg/m³ and 250.4 μg/m³ to be given such a title.

PM2.5 (and its larger cousin, PM10) refers to fine particulate matter that is 2.5 or less micrometers in diameter, or 10 if referring to PM10, which is somewhat less deadly due to its larger size but still has the ability to cause many issues when inhaled over long periods of time.

With a rating of 176.1 μg/m³ in January, the whole population would be at a very large risk of adverse health effects, with young children, the elderly and those with predisposition to being sick at highest risk. To give some comparison, the cleanest month recorded in Kolkata was 19.7 μg/m³, nearly 9 times lower than the highest months reading. The disparity is somewhat alarming, with some serious causes being behind this large spike of pollution.

What are the main causes of pollution in Kolkata?

The main causes of pollution in Kolkata would be similar to many other states and cities in India, although with differences in what times of the year see their worst spikes in smoke and haze, due to several different factors. Vehicles always play a large role in the ambient year-round pollution levels, with highly dense and populated cities often playing host to an equal, if not a greater number of vehicles. Cars and motorbikes as well as lorries and trucks would all be emitting vast quantities of smoke, haze and pollution into the air, with ones running off of fossil fuels such as diesel putting out larger amounts of pollution.

Pollutants arising from the vehicular industry would include black carbon and volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), both of which are released from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as diesel.

They are also produced from practices such as slash and burn farming, setting organic waste and refuse on fire, as well as the use of coal to provide power to the numerous factories and industrial plants located around Kolkata. The main pollutant released from the vehicular industry (as well as from all combustion sources) would be nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), which is found in high concentration around any area worldwide that sees high volumes of traffic, and indeed Kolkata would be no exception, with levels of nitrogen dioxide constantly being a looming threat in its rise, due to the population explosion and therefore rise in personal vehicles.

What is Kolkata doing about its pollution levels?

Kolkata is implementing a number of incentives over the last few years out of growing concern for its pollution levels. A large amount of resources have been poured into the public transport sector, which would go a long way to helping reduce the levels of ambient pollution, in particular the aforementioned nitrogen dioxide.

Noxious smokes and fumes released from diesel fuels would also be reduced, as with newer public transport infrastructure often means newer models of public buses, as well as trains that rely on alternative fuel sources, and as such they would be emitting far less smoke and haze, usually thick with PM2.5 and other toxic compounds such as carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O 3 ) and soot, which contains large amounts of the aforementioned black carbon.

Besides being highly dangerous to breathe in, black carbon also has grave consequences in terms of climate control, having a prominent effect on a city due to its ability to convert solar radiation directly into heat. Thus, with large initiatives in the public transport sector, would have marked differences in pollution level reduction, which is already being seen.

Are pollution levels in Kolkata getting better?

Whilst pollution levels in Kolkata still have a way to go in order to see the best health of its citizens, it is apparent that pollution levels have improved over the last few years, with a marked improvement in levels of PM2.5 recorded in 2019 as opposed to the few years prior to that. In 2017, the yearly average of PM2.5 was 76.7 μg/m³, still in the unhealthy rating bracket but considerably higher in number than more recent times.

2018 came in with an even worse reading of 85.4 μg/m³, before finally coming to the improved reading of 2019 at 59.8 μg/m³, representing a drop of 25 μg/m³ of particulate matter in the course of a year.

Whilst Kolkata still has plenty of room for improvement, with the excessive numbers of pollution recorded in January skewing the results massively, its 2019 rating was not too far from being moved down a bracket out of the unhealthy rating and down into the ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ bracket. Whilst this is still a very long way from the WHO’s target rating of 0 to 10 μg/m³, it would represent a further change in the right direction.

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Kolkata Confronts Air Pollution Crisis: A Close Look at the Urban Air Quality Dilemma

Kolkata, the seventh-largest city in India, is currently dealing with an acute problem of air pollution. India’s Central Pollution Control Board has consistently rated the city’s air quality as “poor” to “dangerous.” The air pollution situation in Kolkata is one of the worst in India and the world. According to the World Air Quality Index (WAQI), Kolkata’s annual average PM2.5 levels in 2022 were 84 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), which is more than three times the World Health Organisation’s safety limit of 25 µg/m³.

This means that air quality is harmful to the entire population. People with respiratory diseases or heart diseases can have more serious health problems. The main sources of air pollution in Kolkata are vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, and dust from construction sites. Emissions are a major source of air pollution, as Kolkata has a growing fleet of vehicles. Industrial pollution is also an important problem, as is dust from construction sites, including steel mills, cement plants, and power plants, making it another major air pollutant in the rapidly growing city.

The death toll is no less concerning when it comes to air pollution . According to a 2019 study by the World Bank, an estimated 13,000 people die from air pollution in Kolkata every year. These alarming statistics reveal a grim reality. A recent study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur titled “Air Quality Trends in Rural India: Analysis of NO2 Pollution using Satellite Measurements,” highlights that rural sources account for 41% of the overall NO2 pollution in India, of which 45% and 40% are from transportation and power sectors, respectively. The analyses for the rural regions show distinct seasonal changes with the highest value (2.0 1015 molecules per cm²) in winter and the lowest in monsoon (1.5 1015 molecules per cm²) seasons.

Air pollution also has a negative impact on the environment. It destroys local ecosystems, harms wildlife, and reduces crop yields. Air pollution can also cause acid rain, which can damage buildings and other structures.

The Government of India and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have taken steps to curb air pollution. These measures include implementing stricter standards for vehicle emissions, promoting public transport, and planting trees. The government has imposed stringent emission norms for vehicles in Kolkata in line with Stage VI (BS-VI) emission norms in India, the most stringent in the country. Kolkata has undertaken several public awareness campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of air pollution and encourage them to reduce exposure.

The Kolkata Clean Air Campaign was a joint initiative between the Government of India and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. It aimed at raising awareness about air pollution and its health effects, and promoting sustainable modes of transportation. The campaign for air pollution was organized by the non-profit organization West Bengal Pollution Control Board and aimed to educate the public on the types of air pollutants, their effects, and health implications. ‘Clean Air for Kolkata’, a new campaign organized by a group of local organizations and NGOs, aims to advocate for government initiatives to improve air quality and promote sustainable transport modes.

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A local NGO named ‘Eternal Bliss’ started from the very ground level to deal with air pollution. Their main initiative, named ‘Planting 1 Lakh Mangroves in the Sundarbans’, is a gigantic mission of its own. Rick Sarkar, one of the members of the organization, said, “ Climate change is real, and our mission is to plant 100,000 mangroves in the Sundarbans region to not only tackle air pollution but also safeguard our natural ecosystem and act as a barrier in dealing with cyclones.” He also encouraged the younger generation to come forward and take action to reuse, reduce, and recycle.

However, more needs to be done to tackle the problem of air pollution in Kolkata. Public awareness of air pollution and its health effects is important. This can be achieved through public education campaigns, social media outreach, and events. It is also important to encourage people to reduce their air pollution, such as avoiding outdoor activities during periods of poor air quality and wearing a mask when outdoors.

Kolkata’s battle against air pollution requires a collective effort from government bodies, industries, and the community. Continued vigilance, stringent policy implementation, technological innovation, and shared responsibility are essential to ensure a healthier, sustainable future for the city.

I vehemently remember my first time in the city of Kolkata, seeking higher education. Excited for a new beginning, I stepped off the train only to be hit by discomfort and difficulty in breathing. Being from the hills, this was a new experience for me, leaving me with clogged lungs amidst a city filled with over 14 million people. Yangchula Bhutia

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Explained: The air pollution in Kolkata and the extent of its severity

According to a report titled 'kolkata, pre-diwali air quality and an impending predicament', the aqi in the city began to deteriorate after durga pujas and has been recorded in the 'poor category'. the month of november has begun to witness an alarming aqi level..

New Delhi: Diwali, the festival of lights, is just around the corner. While lighting diyas (oil lamps) and designing rangolis are integral parts of the festival, so is the bursting of crackers. This year, that latter activity is perhaps something that we should avoid, given the Air Quality Index (AQI) in many major Indian cities including Kolkata.

According to a report titled ‘Kolkata, Pre-Diwali Air Quality and An Impending Predicament’, the AQI in the city began to deteriorate after Durga Pujas and has been recorded in the ‘Poor Category’. The study stated that Kolkata’s mean daily AQI, PM2.5 and PM10 consistently remained in the moderate zone since Durga Puja ended. The month of November has begun to witness an alarming AQI level, according to the report that SwitchON Foundation has prepared after analysing data from seven CAAQMS (Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations) of the Central Pollution Control Board in the city.

The rising air pollution in Kolkata

As per reports, on November 9, 2023, among the seven Air Quality Monitoring Stations in Kolkata, the AQI in six stations was between 200 to 300. The worrying factor was that the AQI was even poor in Maidan, the vast green space considered the city’s lungs. On November 10, the AQI in Kolkata was 204, which is considered ‘poor’.

Also read: All’s not well yet: Rains bring little respite from ‘severe’ air pollution; letting guard down could be dangerous

Why is the air pollution in Kolkata rising?

Several factors like population increase, emissions from industries, steep rise in vehicular population, burning of solid waste, road dust resuspension, construction and demolition activities, burning of solid fuels in roadside eateries etc. are contributing to the rising air pollution in Kolkata. Even small urban centres are not safe, with the AQI in both Howrah and Asansol hovering in the poor category. Even people in these urban towns are exposed to high levels of air pollutants.

The Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) along with the West Bengal Department of Environment and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) once conducted a study and found out that around 70 per cent of Kolkata’s people have air pollution-driven respiratory disorders. Even in 1995, when the vehicular population was not so high, around 10,647 died prematurely in the city due to air pollution. Studies have shown that children in Kolkata suffer from adverse lung reactions and genetic abnormalities in exposed lung tissue.

Also read: Delhi’s air emergency: Is there any hope for a solution?

People residing in the city suffer from lower respiratory tract symptoms and those exposed to high levels of vehicular emission also suffer from impaired liver function, haematological abnormalities, and genetic changes. People who are most exposed include roadside hawkers, traffic policemen, and taxi and auto drivers.

To curb the air pollution in the city, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has asked its departments to water the roads, cover up construction material at building sites and stop burning waste. One can only hope that this Diwali does not worsen the situation further in Kolkata.

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Kolkata air quality still ‘very poor’, worse than post-Diwali last year

Environmental scientists point out that uncontrolled burning of waste, construction dust, use of wood for cooking, vehicular exhaust fumes and meteorological conditions are among the major factors behind the surge.

The air quality in Kolkata remained ‘very poor’ at two stations – Fort William and Ballygunge – on Tuesday with an Air Quality Index (AQI) (PM2.5) reading of over 300. Interestingly, the AQI reading at the two places on Monday and Tuesday were even lower than the levels recorded a day after Diwali and Kali Puja last year.

At the other air quality stations in the city, the AQI reading was in ‘poor’ category.  According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Kolkata ’s average AQI from December to January indicates a surge in air pollution levels.

There are seven ambient air quality stations in the city which monitor the air quality. According to the National Air Quality Index of CPCB, the AQI reading at 10 am Tuesday was 314 at Fort William, 306 at Ballygunge, 300 at Jadavpur, 285 at Victoria Memorial, 271 at Rabindra Sarobar, 254 at Rabindra Bharati University and 206 at Bidhannagar.

At 6 pm on Monday, the AQI reading was 321 at Fort William, 319 at Ballygunge, 317 at Jadavpur and 308 at Victoria Memorial. The AQI reading was in the ‘poor’ category at Rabindra Sarobar and Bidhannagar with PM2.5 staying at 285 and 233, respectively. Only the AQI at Rabindra Bharati University, was 179 which marks “moderate” air quality.

On November 13 at 10 am, the day after Diwali, the AQI reading was 284 at Victoria Memorial, 262 at Fort William, 234 at Ballygunge, 254 at Jadavpur, 234 at Rabindra Sarobar and 236 at Bidhannagar.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

According to SwitchOn Foundation, a Kolkata-based environment conservation organisation, the average AQI in the city was below 200 till December 11 and over a month later had crossed 275 on January 14.

In its report, the organisation pointed out that over the week, Kolkata’s air quality has been ‘poor’ with an AQI ranging between 201 and 300, except on January 12 (195). On January 15, the peak average AQI was recorded at 271.

“Kolkata has been experiencing a rise in its AQI reading since Friday, surpassing the 250 AQI limit on both the 14th and 15th of January. Three regions in Kolkata have entered the “very poor” category, with Jadavpur registering AQI levels of 301 and 317 on January 14 and 15, Ballygunge recording 306 and 319 on the same dates, and Victoria Memorial reaching an AQI of 308 on January 15,” said the organisation in a report which analsysed the AQI data from the CPCB.

Speaking to The Indian Express , environmental scientist and activist at Cantonment Board – Government Of India, Dr Swati Chakraborty said the rampant use of wooden stoves, the burning of waste and vehicular exhaust were among the reasons for Kolkata’s worsening air quality.

“Vehicular emissions are one of the main reasons which contribute to this problem. There is also an increase of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrate oxide, due to the use of open chullahs (stoves) in several places especially in fairs and bus stands. Washing streets and sprinkling water routinely are key strategies to mitigate dust resuspension. However, it is not being done regularly which is another reason why local pollution is increasing,” said Chakraborty.

Environmentalist Naba Dutta said there is a “lack of effort” on the part of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) to reduce air pollution. “The pollution control board is not serious about addressing the issue. Strict monitoring is required to curb the practice of burning wood, leaves and roadside refuse in the open. To address this issue, a strong waste management system is needed. Stringent monitoring of construction activities within the city is essential to control construction dust,” said Dutta.

WBPCB Chairman Kalyan Rudra, however, said the rise in Kolkata’s AQI was due to weather conditions such as overcast sky and low wind speed.

According to him, the planetary boundary layer was reduced because of the weather conditions, resulting in high concentration of air pollutants at a lower level. “This is not uncommon. The air quality worsens in such weather conditions. There was no special factor behind this rise in air pollution level,” Rudra had told The Indian Express on Monday.

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Kolkata Air Quality Index (AQI) | India

Real-time PM2.5, PM10 air pollution level West Bengal

Last Update: 10 Apr 2024, 09:49pm

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The current PM2.5 concentration in Kolkata is 4.8 times above the recommended limit given by the WHO 24 hrs air quality guidelines value.

PM2.5 air pollution in Kolkata is causing an estimated deaths of lives since January 1, 2021. It has cost the city's economy around US$3.3 billion so far this year. (Source: Greenpeace)

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Faqs of kolkata air quality index, (frequently asked questions).

Quick answers to some commonly asked questions about the air pollution of Kolkata.

The real-time air quality in Kolkata is 152 (POOR) AQI now. This was last updated 5 minutes ago .

The current concentration of PM2.5 in Kolkata is 72 (µg/m³). The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends 15 µg/m³ as the threshold concentration of PM2.5 for 24 hrs mean. Currently, the concentration is 2.88 times the recommended limit.

Generally, the air quality at Kolkata starts deteriorating in late October. The winters are the worst-hit season in terms of air pollution.

You should wear a good N95 mask when you go outdoor in Kolkata until the AQI is improving upto moderate range.

Office going people should avoid personal vehicles and use public transportations or carpooling.

(i) The primary causes of outdoor air pollution are solid, liquid particles called aerosols & gase from vehicles emissions, construction activities, factories, burning stubble & fossil fuels and wildfire, etc.

(ii) Main causes of indoor air pollution are harmful gases from cooking fuels (such as wood, crop wastes, charcoal, coal and dung), damp, mould smoke, chemicals from cleaning materials, etc.

Indoor air pollution in Kolkata is as dangerous as outdoor pollution, because the air pollutants come inside the houses or buildings through doors, windows and ventilation.

In Kolkata , you must use an air purifier or fresh air machine at home or office indoor and close all the doors, windows and ventilations when the outdoor air quality index (aqi) in Kolkata is very high. Proper ventilation is highly recommended only when outdoor air quality is improving and moderate AQI range.

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