Out of 53% of transboundary pollution in Bengal 21% is from B'desh: Report

Kolkata: A preliminary study initiated by West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) which has been conducted by IIT Delhi has identified the entry of dust particles from Bangladesh border as one of the major source of pollution in Bengal. According to the study, 53 per cent of the state's pollution is caused by trans-boundary pollution out of which Bangladesh contributes 21 per cent.

"Our location is at the tail end of the Ganga Basin so the pollution of the Ganga is on the higher side with garbage being carried from the source upto the confluence. Similarly dust from the Indo Gangetic plain easily gets transmitted via the borders which augments air pollution in Bengal," a senior official of WBPCB said.

WBPCB on Tuesday officially launched 70 sensor-based monitoring stations. "Bengal is probably the first state in the country that has developed such a robust infrastructure in air quality index(AQI) monitoring. Apart from PM 10 and PM 2.5, PM 1 will also be monitored through these sensor based stations. 150 such stations will be set up," WBPCB Chairman Kalyan Rudra said at a programme on Tuesday. There are 79 manual and 14 automatic air quality monitoring stations installed by the WBPCB across the state.

It has been found through the monitoring stations that in bordering areas of Hili in South Dinajpur or in Bankura where there is less movement of transport or functioning of industry, the pollution level is reasonably high.

So it can be assumed that trans-boundary pollution is a major contributor. So in these sensor based stations apart from PM 10, PM 2.5 , PM 1, SO2 (Sulphur dioxide), NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide), relative humidity, temperature and windspeed will also be monitored. Sound pollution will also come under the ambit of monitoring.

PM 1 is the finest particle which has a very high probability of getting mixed with human blood causing health hazards.

PM 1 was found to be 93.92 microgram, 102.35 at Howrah's Jalan complex, 50.70 at Salt Lake administrative training institute, 50.70 at Gangasagar at 3 pm on Tuesday. Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra who was present at the programme said that several green initiatives have been taken and environmental matters have been included in police training too.

Kolkata Police handed over a list of wayside food vendors and iron vendors who use coal based fuel to the pollution panel.

As many as 47 of these vendors were provided with gas ovens and gradually it will be distributed among the other vendors too.