Even after 11 days of Diwali and Kali Puja, many places in Kolkata on Friday air quality (air quality, It remained in the ‘very poor’ category, which has given rise to serious health concerns. An official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) said the air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 309 at 1 pm in Ballygunge in South Kolkata, 310 at Victoria Memorial and 309 at Fort William. He said that the environmental AQI in all these areas remained in the ‘very poor’ category and this shows how the situation has worsened in 24 hours with the arrival of winter. The official said that the AQI was 286 in Bidhannagar in the northern part of the city, 218 in Rabindra Bharati University and AQI in Ravindra Sarovar located in the south of the district was 260 i.e. in ‘poor’ category.
Till a week ago, the AQI was between 100 to 200 (moderate), while on Tuesday the average air quality index in the city was between 160 to 220. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and Between 450 is considered ‘severe’ and above 450 is considered ‘very serious’.
The official said that during Kali Puja and Diwali, AQI was recorded between 189 to 255 across the city, but with the onset of winter, respiratory problems started increasing after the minimum temperature dropped below 20 degrees Celsius. “A health alert is issued when the AQI is between 201 and 300, while an emergency health situation is issued when the AQI is more than 300,” he said. Environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh said, “If there is rain in a few days due to disturbance or other weather conditions, If this is not done, there is a possibility of serious impact on the health of the entire population.