Kolkata’s air quality plummets to ‘poor’ level with AQI over 300 on Diwali night

Kolkata: With the AQI in Kolkata crossing 300 on Diwali night, pollution has reached a high level across the city, including the Victoria Memorial, known as the “Green Zone”. Pollution Control Board Chairman Kalyan Rudra said the reason why the Air Quality Index (AQI) is so low is because “indiscriminate use of expensive firecrackers increases pollution”.

Kolkata’s AQI crossed 300 on Diwali night, entering the ‘poor’ category of Air Quality. PCB sources said AQI levels were recorded above 300 from 9 pm to 1 am. The highest pollution was seen in Victoria and Jadavpur districts, where the AQI level approached 300. Although the Victoria Memorial area falls within the Green Zone, pollution levels have increased greatly.

According to Rudra, the city’s average AQI was recorded at 200 today. “Conditions remained stable from 2 pm to 8 am and improved after sunrise,” Rudra said. He pointed out that the average AQI in areas like Baranagar, Fort William and Ballygunge is less than 200. KMC’s irrigation and sprinkling of various areas has improved the situation to some extent.
The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has declared Chandni Chowk, Ho-Chi Mihn Sarani, Ballygunge, Laketown, Dakshin Dumdum and Behla as: hot spotsTollyganj, Kasba and Rajarhat also witnessed the lighting of fireworks in large numbers.

Environmentalists SM Ghosh and Naba Dutta questioned the role of the PCB, saying the board had not fulfilled its responsibility. He demanded that the noise limit of green crackers be reduced to 125 decibels.

Techno India Hospital Medical Superintendent MS Purkait said that the number of patients in hospitals increased by 15-20% after Diwali. While asthma, COPD and heart patients suffered the most, the elderly were most affected by the smoke and pollution of fireworks.AQI levels:Victoria – 255 (poor), Jadavpur – 204 (poor), Botanical Garden – 192 (fair), Ballygunge – 173 (fair), Vidhannagar – 169 (fair), Fort William – 145 (fair).