Kolkata’s residents breathe in air that has 3-5 times higher pollution levels than the permissible limit set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Kolkata is seeing the worst ever hike in pollution levels each passing year and it is gradually emerging as the next big killer after COVID-19. In the year 2019 Bengal reported about 1,22,833 deaths attributable to air pollution as against 11,009 deaths to COVID-19 so far. Hence, air pollution claimed 10 times more lives than COVID-19 making it an even deadlier health risk (Lancet-ICMR 2020, CSE 2019.)
To understand the changing trends in the pollution levels in the city, SwitchON Foundation analyzed of 3 years of air quality data of Kolkata -Rabindra Bharati University automatic station of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An overall trend of declining air quality could be observed across Kolkata-RBU from 2017 to 2020 especially in the winter month.
Key findings from the study:
Average NO2 concentrations: Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is primarily known to be emitted from the burning of fuels such as petrol and diesel and hence it can largely be attributed to come from vehicular emissions (the United States Environmental Protection Agency).
- Average annual NO2 concentrations on weekdays were up to 2 times higher than public holidays between 2017-2020
- Average NO2 concentrations on weekdays were higher than public holidays by 5 times in 2018, 2 times higher in 2019, and 3 times higher in 2020
- Average NO2 concentrations on the weekdays of 2018 and 2019 were up to 57% times higher than Sundays.
- NO2 concentrations on weekdays were almost 2-3 times more than the national standard across the last 3 years.
- Average NO2 concentrations show a 94% increase with the economic reopening after the COVID-19 lockdown.
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