Nothing to worry about Kolkata's air quality: Sovan
20 Jan 2018 12:03 AM IST
Kolkata: City Mayor and state Environment minister Sovan Chatterjee said on Friday that Kolkata is one of the safest cities for breathing and there is nothing to worry about the city's environment and air quality.
He further claimed that the air quality in the city is far better than that of Delhi and brushed aside reports in a section of media that had claimed that on certain days from January 1 to 15, air quality in the city was worse than that of the capital.
"There is a stark difference in figures of particulate pollutant matter (PM) 2.5 and Air Quality Index (AQI) of the American Consulate on Ho Chi Minh Sarani and that of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB). We have done our measurement at four places in the city and one or two places in Howrah, from which we have found that Kolkata's air quality is far better than that of Delhi," Chatterjee said.
A copy of data comparing pollution levels in Delhi and Kolkata (according to government figures), from January 1 to 15, was made available to the media. It may be mentioned that the data of the state PCB is based upon findings at Behala Chowrasta, Minto Park, Moulali and Shyambazar, as well as in Howrah.
He maintained that the American Embassy has been informed of the inaccurate data in their report, though the Embassy has stated clearly in its findings that their readings have been registered on the basis of air quality in and around Ho Chi Minh Sarani. He alleged that there was "political vendetta" behind people calling Kolkata a more polluted city than Delhi.
There are 17 stations in the city and five stations in Howrah that measure air quality in the city. Two of the automated stations - one at Victoria Memorial and another at Rabindra Bharati University, are lying defunct. The two machines that were set up in 2002 are being renovated as they have become outmoded. These two machines will be in place in February.
The minister, however, said that his department is taking measures to improve the air quality in the city further, like introduction of more and more CNG buses, solar power in schools and colleges, renovation of water-bodies and planting trees.
"The state government has formed a committee headed by the state Chief Secretary, for preparing an action plan on PM 2.5 and bring out guidelines to keep it in check," a senior official of the Environment department said.
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