Air Quality in Kolkata declines to ‘very unhealthy’ level, raising public health concerns
The AQI level in Kolkata is approaching the "hazardous" range, which ranges between 301 and 500 that can lead to more severe health effects.
Kolkata: Air quality in Kolkata has significantly worsened, getting into the “very unhealthy” category as AQI levels ranged between 204 and 290 since Thursday, with the drop in temperature exacerbating the situation. The AQI level range between 201 and 300 as “purple,” indicates conditions which could have an effect on the health of the whole population.
Currently, the AQI level is drawing near the “hazardous” range, which ranges between 301 and 500 which can find yourself in additional severe health effects. In advance of the Diwali and Kali Puja festivities, the air quality in Kolkata remained relatively good, partly due to winds from Cyclone Dana. Alternatively, the widespread use of firecrackers the whole way through these festivals, along with similar activity the whole way through Chhath Puja, raised pollution levels.
In step with an environmental activist, Somendra Mohan Ghosh highlighted that India’s air quality standards are more lenient compared with those set by the World Health Organization (WHO). He emphasized that the permissible limits for pollutants like PM2.5 and PM10 lower than India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are some distance less stringent than the WHO guidelines.
“The permissible limits lower than the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matters like PM2.5 and PM10 as well as to other items like nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and Sulphur dioxide is far more lenient than those permissible lower than WHO guidelines,” said Ghosh.
“Exposure to air pollution above WHO guidelines may find yourself in respiratory problems like asthma or COPD, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, neurological damage and premature mortality,” Ghosh highlighted. He also emphasized on the urgent revisions to the NAAQS to align with WHO recommendations, alongside stricter emissions controls, promotion of fresh energy, and more effective waste management strategies. Public awareness on air quality issues should also be enhanced.
Meanwhile, Delhi-NCR continues to face severe air pollution, because the region’s AQI reached a “severe” level of 409 on Friday morning. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that pollution levels in Delhi and neighboring areas in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh remain dangerously high, specifically from the onset of wintry weather.
(With IANS inputs)
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