Kolkata: To curb the pollution levels in the city, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), as part of a pilot project, has decided to distribute environment- friendly ovens to slums and food shops in Ward 56 under the civic body to replace the coal-fired ones.
Air pollution has become one of the worrying factors for the civic body in recent times. The KMC authorities have lately been discussing all possible ways to reduce the pollution level which has taken Kolkata in the top rankings in terms of air pollution.
It was learnt that the West Bengal Pollution Control Board has decided to hand over environment-friendly ovens to the KMC which are expected to substantially bring down pollution levels in the city. These ovens will replace the coal fired ones which are a major source of pollution in the city. Such coal fired ovens are not just used by food establishments but also in several households which are below the poverty line.
Once the eco-friendly ovens are handed over to the KMC, the civic body, as part of a pilot project, will distribute these to households in Ward 56 where there are a large number of slums. The ovens will also be given to the roadside food shops.
The Member Mayor In Council Swapan Samaddar, Environment department, KMC is learnt to have said that for now, such eco-friendly ovens will be introduced in Ward 56 where gas stoves are rarely used and people are more dependent on coal fired ones. These will be distributed to the people free-of-cost, he said.
The state PCB chairman Kalyan Rudra is learnt to have remarked that the PCB intends to reduce the dependency on the use of coal-fired ovens in the state by 50 per cent. For now, about 3000 such eco-friendly ovens are being handed over to
the KMC.