Will Kolkata become the next New Delhi in the coming five years?

Recently, Delhi's air pollution grabbed the attention of the country when its Air Quality Index (AQI) reached the mark of 700 in some parts of the region.

- Roushan Chatterjee

Recently, Delhi's air pollution grabbed the attention of the country when its Air Quality Index (AQI) reached the mark of 700 in some parts of the region. Schools were shut down, masks - once worn during the COVID-19 pandemic, again became common, and air pollution became a heated topic of discussion across various platforms. However, now - when the AQI slightly dropped to below 250, which is still 'very unhealthy', the urgency has disappeared, and people have resumed their daily lives. This raises questions like - can this ignorance lead to a more vulnerable situation, and are other cities 'safe' from this advancing global concern?

The issue of air pollution is rising in Kolkata. While the city's air quality has not reached the extreme levels like Delhi, it's still on an alarming rise. Considering this situation, can a city like Kolkata (where the AQI is already between 150-200, 'very unhealthy') be safe, or may it face a similar fate to that of Delhi in the near future?

Factors contributing to air pollution There are certain components that contribute to the rising air pollution during winter. "During the winter season, there's a change in the direction of wind speed. In summer or monsoon season, the wind direction in our country is from southeast to northwest, but in winter, it flows from northwest to southeast. In this way, wind flows from the upper Indo-Gangetic plain from Punjab, Haryana, followed by Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand to West Bengal. Also, the wind speed is faster in summer or monsoon compared to winter." an official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) shared with The Statesman. He claimed that West Bengal, being at the receiving end of the upper Indo-Gangetic plain, results in all the pollutants reaching West Bengal and accumulating there. "More than 40 per cent of the pollutants in West Bengal are from other regions. This is the primary reason for worsening air quality in West Bengal."