Call to replicate Delhi plan to curb pollution

KOLKATA: Environment action groups have urged the government to put in place a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), similar to that in Delhi, which will kick off automatically when air pollution crosses certain levels. This year, air pollution in Kolkata has been the worst in recent years, often overtaking the Delhi levels.



“The PM 2.5 readings emerging from Kolkata are of extreme concern. The city had been identified as non-compliant at least a couple of years ago when Delhi’s pollution levels was under the Supreme Court scrutiny. A GRAP and a Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) were prepared for Delhi. The SC had then mentioned the need for similar plans for other cities . The drafting had begun in Kolkata and it needs to be finalised and implemented at the earliest,” said Centre for Science & Environment research & advocacy director Anumita Roy Chowdhury.

GRAP defines measures to be taken depending on the PM 2.5 and PM10 levels in the atmosphere. Based on the air quality, the grades have been classified as “Emergency”, “Severe”, “Very Poor” and “Moderate Poor”. While it is enforced by the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) in Delhi, the state pollution control board can do so in Kolkata.

The GRAP notified for NCR kicks off automatically if the PM 2.5 level breaches 300 µgm/ m3 and PM10 500 µgm/m3 for two consecutive days. The plan recommends measures, like odd-even car rationing scheme and ban on construction activities to combat air pollution.

During “Very Poor” air quality, it recommends banning diesel generators and increasing of parking fee by three to four times to discourage people from using personal transport. It also lists closing of brick kilns, stone crushers, hot-mix plants and increasing the frequency of mechanised cleaning and sprinkling of water on roads as other measures.

Kolkata’s air quality has reached dangerous level. In November, 21of the 30 days would have fallen either in the “Severe” or “Very poor” category had a GRAP been present here. To tackle the high pollution levels, the entry of trucks would have been stopped and construction activities suspended to bring down the PM 2.5 count.

Kankana Das, deputy director of Legal Initiative for Forest & Environment, said it was important that the environment department, along with KMC, transport department and other agencies, sit down to formulate the action plans — both emergency and comprehensive — to check the runaway pollution. “Despite such high pollution that affects all sections of society, it is not a priority with the government. The government needs to acknowledge the big problem at hand and start taking measures to address it,” she said.

On Sunday, citizen groups congregated at Safari Park, Rabindra Sarovar, demanding their right to breathe even as the AQI peaked at 428. Organised by Kolkata Clean Air, doctors, lawyers, students, NGO heads and others joined the campaign to demand urgent action. Emission expert S M Ghosh called for bold policies, “There has to be longterm measures.”