Kolkata doctors advice to stay indoors on new year's eve due to poor air quality

In wake of poor air quality in and around Kolkata, experts have advised new year`s eve enthusiasts to stay indoors. The fall in air quality can increase problems like breathlessness and respiratory ailments. Not to forget the COVID pandemic situation we all are passing through. According to the MeT office, the Air Quality Index (AQI) fall further on new year`s eve.

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The air quality of the outdoor party zones such as Park Street-Theatre Road-AJC Bose Road, Ballygunge, Jadavpur are particularly closing the gap between very poor and severe, which is the worst possible scenario in the air quality index. Health experts said long exposure to such air quality can trigger many severe respiratory ailments at a time when Covid-19 is still wrecking havoc.

The air quality of the city has remained very poor (310-400) for the last few days. Thermal inversion has lowered the vertical wind movement due to lower radiative temperature at the ground.

"Typically, around this time, the soil is cool and there is no or very less transfer of heat from the soil. So, there is a complete calm condition in the lower atmosphere, refusing the dispersal of particulate pollutants up in the atmosphere," said a WBPCB scientist. There will be no major change in the trend on the 31st night.

AQI of places known to be year-end celebration hotspots has, in fact, closed the gap between the very poor and severe category of air. Four automatic air quality monitoring stations at Fort William (which is closed to Park Street), Victoria Memorial Hall (which represents the air quality of Theatre Road-AJC Bose Road), Ballygunge station (which highlights the air of Ballygunge-Kasba area), and Javapur station (which shows the air quality of Jadavpur-South city area) showed the air quality deteriorating fast at night. Sometimes it hovers around the severe category.

"This is quite dangerous as inhaling such air can trigger a lot of health issues even for a healthy person. For elderly or people with a history of respiratory distress, it will be quite disastrous," said senior pulmonologist Arup Haldar.
"The inhalation of finer particulate matter, like PM2.5, which straight travels to our lung and blood stream, can play havoc with our lives.

People are advised to stay indoors. If a new-year celebration is unavoidable, it should be held in an airy, spacious zone. The infection rate is low now. But that does not mean, Covid is over," he added.

There has been a significant growth of patients with respiratory distress at clinics of different hospitals in the city with the declining air quality of the city.

"For the last few days, AQI refuses to drop below 301. Long exposure in such air can aggravate the existing lung ailment. People should take utmost care in getting them exposed to such foul air. Citizens have shown remarkable restraint during Diwali by not indulging in fireworks. We expect similar restraint during new year night," said Dr Susmita Roy Chowdury, a senior pulmonologist.

Since the city`s AQI is driven by finer particulate matter PM2.5. Ultrafine PM2.5 is considered much more lethal compared with the relatively coarser PM10. The PM2.5 particle is about 3% the diameter of a human hair, and can travel straight into the bloodstream. The noxious chemicals riding piggyback on these particles.

"Wearing N-95 masks has now become mandatory for outdoor activities. We have to protect the respiratory system from the onslaught of the particulate pollution," said Dr Debasis Basu, a preventive medicine expert.