Kolkata second-most polluted metro in country, says WHO

KOLKATA: The city is in the grip of severe air pollution that remains largely unassessed and so is its health impact. In 2017-18, the city’s pollution levels rose faster than ever before because of an exponential growth in the number of vehicles, construction activities and biomass burning.

A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that Kolkata is the second-most polluted metropolis in the country, next only to Delhi. The study revealed another alarming trend — Kolkata’s air quality is declining faster than Delhi’s.



“We are running out of time to wake up from our slumber and do something drastic to improve the city’s air quality,” said environmentalist Subhas Datta, who has filed several litigations with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on this issue.



The biggest threat to citizens’ health is posed by particulate matter pollution, particularly PM2.5. There has been a tremendous rise in number of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases) patients in the city. It causes much of fatalities. Dr Arup Halder, consultant pulmonologist, wondered why the city so patiently accepted the grave situation without even a murmur of protest. “Do we really care for our kids? If we do, how can we allow them to breathe poison every minute?” he said.

Kolkata has earned the notoriety of being the India’s lung cancer capital. As many as 70% citizens suffer from respiratory disorders due to air pollution. Besides, there are cases of haematological abnormalities, impaired liver function, genetic changes and neuro-behavioral problems. According to Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and National Centre for Atmospheric Research, air pollution has reduced life expectancy of Kolkatans by 6.1years, second to Delhi’s 6.4 years.

However, there is hardly any detailed study to assess the impact of degrading ambient air on Kolkatans’ health. A joint study by Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, state’s department of environment and Central Pollution Control Board in 1995 had estimated 10, 647 premature deaths due to air pollution in Kolkata.

The recent study said nitrogen oxide, another major pollutant, exceeds standards by1.8 times. This also contributes to ozone pollution. “These two pollutants are responsible for major increase in mortality from chronic bronchitis and pneumonia,” said Dr Debasish Basu, a preventive medicine expert.

While Kolkata’s air quality is often compared to that of Delhi — considered one of the most polluted cities in the world — pulmonologists and respiratory physicists said it was meaningless as 28 automated air quality monitoring stations functioned in Delhi — giving a clear picture of the city’s ambient air quality — whereas the only two stations that Kolkata had did not even function. “Citizens’ health issue has been severely compromised,” said Ajay Mittal of Kolkata Clean Air Campaign.