Key Takeaways
- The Kolkata Municipal Corporation deployed sprinklers and mist cannons to lower city smog.
- Festive fireworks during Durga Puja and other celebrations spiked air pollution levels.
- Air Quality Index readings in Ballygunge, Bidhannagar and Jadavpur remained in the poor range.
Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has deployed sprinklers and mist cannons across this metropolis in a bid to weed out the air pollution and smog, creating
breathing trouble to the netizens, especially the elderly people and morning strollers, sources said on Friday.
State urban development minister Firhad Hakim, also the Mayor of the KMC directed the cosevancy officials to deploy the mist cannons and sprinklers on the roads, where the air quality was poor across this metropolis.
Sources said two such machines are in operation for now and more could be requisitioned if the situation needed, sources added.
The air quality has been affected due to festive seasons with millions of people from the districts converging into the city to celebrate Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Dewali.
Crackers were used during Puja and Dewali which had a bearing on the existing air quality with explosives smoke caused the air pollution.
Besides these sudden rise of entry of vehicular traffic from the outskirts of the city carrying people during festival and onset of wintry dew thickened the air diring the nights, sources added.
Even after nearly two weeks of festival of lights, the air quality remained nearly suffocative causing health hazards to the netizens, especially to the elderly people and children.
In highly populated Ballygunge area in the southern part of this metropolis the air quality index (AQI) of 296 at 6 pm on Thursday, Bidhannagar (284) in the east and Jadavpur (252), also in south was not upto he mark, a media report. quoting West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) as saying.
Rabindra Sarobar, called the heart of south, registered 254 AQI at 6 pm. These are treated as poor in the environmental terms, the report maintained.
KMC sources said the deployment of the machines drive away dust from the air to the roads and water sprinklers machines would clean the roads and restore the air quality at specific time.
