Check air quality: State to chalk out climate action plan for city

Kolkata: With an apprehension by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board that air quality in Kolkata will worsen during October-December this year, the state government is set to chalk out a climate action plan (CAP) draft to combat the city's climate crisis.

During winter last year, the city had witnessed the air quality had worsened compared to the condition that was registered during the same period in 2019 and 2020. Kolkata was among the few cities where conditions remained grim. Other cities which were ahead of Kolkata in terms of air pollution are Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The WBPCB also published a report recently saying that people in the city may witness comparatively worse air quality this year.

After Diwali, the air quality in the city drops every year.

According to sources in the WBPCB, the air quality index (IQI) remained at 41 in Kolkata in September last year.

Delhi was much higher at 78 on IQI during that period. Chennai and Mumbai registered IQI at 59 and 58 respectively. IQI is measured by an organization from Switzerland. 'World Air Quality Report 2022' also reveals the way the air quality worsens in different cities of the country is a matter of concern.

Mayor Firhad Hakim during a recent programme organized by Environmental Governed Integrated Organization (EnGIO) said that Kolkata is the second city after Mumbai to get a climate action plan to deal with climate related challenges.

An expert committee will be formed which will chalk out a detailed plan how the works would be carried out. Some of the experts in the field of climate change who attended the programme also stressed the importance of developing a climate action plan for the city. Kolkata is vulnerable to climate change and its air quality gets worsened during winter especially after Diwali.

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) on a number of occasions reiterated that the vulnerability has been triggered by an annual rise in sea level by 4 mm and land subsidence by 2.9 mm. Intense rainfall within a short span of time has gone up by 50 percent. The overall rainfall in Kolkata has also increased by around 20 percent.

Hakim while addressing the programme advocated for a well thought out plan to address the challenges.