Sealdah, Dhapa and Ballygunge emerge as critical pollution zones
Kolkata: Sealdah, Dhapa and Ballygunge have emerged as critical pollution zones in the city with PM 2.5 levels peaking at around 130 µg/m³, which is much higher than the national safety standards of 40 µg/m³.
The findings revealed in a report — ‘Decoding Urban Air: Hyperlocal Insights into PM 2.5 Pollution Across Indian Metropolises’ — highlight the need for precise and localised efforts to protect public health and improve urban air quality.
The report by Respirer Living Sciences unveils the state of air quality presently outside the ambit of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) ambient air quality monitoring network. It includes location-specific average pollution data of 10 Indian cities for November 2024 and goes a step further by integrating hyperlocal monitoring and analysis, providing granular insights into pollution hotspots that traditional systems may miss. Respirer combined air quality analysis from its AtlasAQ Platform using CPCB monitoring data and overlaid spatial insights from Google Maps Air Quality application programming interface (API) by leveraging hyperlocal data from over 150 sensors deployed across cities. Google has partnered with Respirer on the AirView+ initiative to enhance air quality monitoring across India.
Proximity to industrial zones, outdated transport infrastructure, and seasonal impacts such as crop residue burning were identified as major contributors to the city’s air
pollution crisis.
Ronak Sutaria, Founder and CEO Respirer Living Sciences, said: “Hyperlocal air quality monitoring is a game-changer for urban India. It bridges the gaps left by traditional systems, offering real-time, street-level insights into pollution patterns. This granularity empowers targeted interventions, making it an important tool in our fight against air pollution.”
He maintained that such insights are “valuable” in identifying unmonitored areas and addressing previously invisible pollution challenges.
The report outlines actionable recommendations to address urban air pollution, including implementing targeted emission controls and expanding low-emission zones; integrating urban forestry and green infrastructure to act as natural pollution buffers and promoting public awareness through real-time data tools and educational campaigns.
“Hyperlocal air quality monitoring bridges the gap between traditional broad-scale assessments and the localised realities of air pollution. By providing fine-grained real-time data, this approach enables us to pinpoint pollution sources with accuracy and design targeted interventions that can improve public health outcomes,” said Professor Sachchida Nand Tripathi, Chair, Steering Committee, National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and Dean, Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur.
“It is commendable that organisations such as Respirer are leveraging innovative technologies such as advanced sensors and data analytics to address this urgent need, offering actionable insights towards pollution abatement,” he added.
