KMC steps up efforts to control air pollution ahead of winter

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has started taking measures to keep the air quality index (AQI) in check with the winter knocking at the door.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim has directed the use of mist cannons and sprinklers for watering roads and keeping under-construction sites under proper cover to prevent re-suspension of dust, a major source of pollutants in the city’s air.

“The DG Building has been directed to instruct all the 16 boroughs under KMC to adopt zero tolerance if construction work is undertaken without proper covering. Stop work notice will be issued if we come across any exposed construction,” Hakim said.

The Mayor recently held a meeting with senior officials of the Building, Parks and Square and Solid Waste Management department and issued directions about adequate measures to keep air quality in check.

The Parks and Square department has been directed to sprinkle water on the plants on the side of the road daily in the morning.

“We will be using mist canons in the thoroughfares which have a huge traffic volume so that the dust particles remain suppressed and do not rise up to get mixed with air. There will be three shifts in which mist cannons will be used for watering. Sprinklers will also be used for curbing air pollution,” the Mayor said.

He stated that the air quality in the city, which was classified as poor in several areas during Diwali, has improved due to KMC’s sprinkling efforts and is now mostly in the ‘moderate’ category. An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe.

The AQI in Kolkata usually remains clean during October and starts deteriorating from the beginning of November and during December it remains predominantly in the ‘poor’ category.