While All Eyes Are Set on Delhi, Kolkata Sitting on Ticking Time Bomb of Air Pollution
Keywords:
Air Pollution, Kolkata, AQI, PM 2.5, Lung Cancer, Temperature inversionAbstract
The metropolitan city of Kolkata today is facing challenges of air pollution like never before. With high population density and relatively lower green cover the city is at the verge of being a gas chamber with its AQI ranging between very poor to poor in winter months. Though the problem of air pollution is multifactorial in the city, major source is automobiles. Despite laws vehicles older than 15 years and diesel run vehicles ply uninhibitedly in the city. Also, the energy generation through conventional thermal power plant systems, use of bio fuels by the residents, rapid urbanisation leading to continuous construction activities and constant decrease in number of trees have made the situation further worse. The measures taken by government are slow in pace and insufficient. Though the capital city of India is facing all burnt at the centre stage of pollution, air pollution in Kolkata is less talked about and a relatively neglected issue. Another worrisome fact is that the city has high level of PM 2.5 which can easily enter the blood through lungs. The resulting health issues from such high levels of pollution are rampant and worrisome. Not only that the city has been nicknamed as lung cancer capital of India because of rising number of cancer patients for which air pollution is a major contributor. If timely swift actions are not taken; it will be too late to control the genocide in making.
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3. Census of India . Series 30. Director of Census Operation; West Bengal, Kolkata: 2011. pp. 245–256. (Provisional Population Totals, West Bengal). [Google Scholar]
4. Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi, India. 2014. Energy and Buildings. Retrieved December 23, 2014, from http://www.cseindiahttp://www.cseindia.org/userfiles/Energy-and-%20buildings.pdf.
5. World Health Organization . Urban Air Pollution in Megacities of the World. World Health Organization; Geneva, Switzerland: 1992. [Google Scholar]
6. WHO Air quality guidelines for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, Global update 2005, Summary of risk assessment. [last accessed on 2011 September 20]. Available from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_PHE_OEH_06.02_eng.pdf .
7. West Bengal Pollution Control Board. Air Quality Management: Final Report. WBPCB in Collaboration with Asian Development Bank; Intercontinental Consultant and Technocrats Pvt. Ltd.: New Delhi, India, 2005.
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9. [Last accessed on 2018 Jun 15]. Available from:https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/calcutta-diwali-air-quality-worst-among-metros/cid/1674477
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1. Bandyopadhyay K. Kolkata City air quality index shoots past 200 a week before Diwali. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/city-air-quality-index-shoots-past-200-a-week-before-diwali/articleshow/71696645.cms
2. Karak T., Bhattacharyya P., Das T., Paul R.K., Bezbaruah R. Non-segregated municipal solid waste in an open dumping ground: A potential contaminant in relation to environmental health. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013;10:503–518. doi: 10.1007/s13762-013-0184-5. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] Open trash burning
3. Joon V, Shahrawat R, Kapahi M. The Emerging Environmental and Public Health Problem of Electronic Waste in India. J Health Pollut. 2017 Sep 7;7(15):1-7. doi: 10.5696/2156-9614-7.15.1. PMID: 30524825; PMCID: PMC6236536.
4. Zhan D, Kwan MP, Zhang W, Wang S, Yu J. Spatiotemporal Variations and Driving Factors of Air Pollution in China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Dec 8;14(12):1538.
5. Ghorani-Azam A, Riahi-Zanjani B, Balali-Mood M. Effects of air pollution on human health and practical measures for prevention in Iran. J Res Med Sci. 2016 Sep 1;21:65. doi: 10.4103/1735-1995.189646. PMID: 27904610; PMCID: PMC5122104.
6. Mukhopadhyay, K. Air Pollution in India and Its Impact on the Health of Different Income Groups; Nova Science Publishers, Inc.: New York, NY, USA, 2009.
7. Ghose, M.K. Controlling of motor vehicle emissions for a sustainable city. TIDEE 2002, 2, 273–282. 39.
8. Schwela, W.; Haq, G.; Huizenga, C.; Han, W.; Fabian, H.; Ajero, M. Urban Air Pollution in Asian Cities Status, Challenges and Management; Earthscan Publishers: London, UK, 2006.
9. Lahiri, T.; Roy, S.; Ganguly, S.; Ray, M.R.; Lahiri, P. Air pollution in Calcutta elicits adverse pulmonary reaction in children. Ind. J. Med. Res. 2000, 112, 21–26
10. Roy, S.; Ray, M.R.; Basu, C.; Lahiri, P.; Lahiri, T. Abundance of siderophages in sputum: Indicator of an adverse lung reaction to air pollution. Actayologica 2006, 45, 958–964. [CrossRef]
11. West Bengal Pollution Control Board. A Quinqueenniel Report, April 1998 to March 2003; West Bengal Pollution Control Board: Kolkata, India, 2003
12. De S, Kushwah GDS, Dharwey D, Shanmugasundaram D. Respiratory Morbidity of Roadside Shopkeepers Exposed to Traffic-related Air Pollution in Bhopal, India. J Health Pollut. 2019 Mar 7;9(21):190305. doi: 10.5696/2156-9614-9.21.190305. PMID: 30931165; PMCID: PMC6421956.
13. Mondal S. City tops lung cancer find. [Last accessed on 2019 Dec 15]. Available from: https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/city-tops-lung-cancer-find/cid/1189622.
14. India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Air Pollution Collaborators. The impact of air pollution on deaths, disease burden, and life expectancy across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet Planet Health. 2019 Jan;3(1):e26-e39. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30261-4. Epub 2018 Dec 6. PMID: 30528905; PMCID: PMC6358127.
15. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Ministry of Environment. Forest and Climate Change. Government of India. CPCB; New Delhi: 2011. Air quality monitoring, emission inventory and source apportionment study for Indian cities—national summary report.http://cpcb.nic.in/displaypdf.php?id=RmluYWxOYXRpb25hbFN1bW1hcnkucGRm [Google Scholar].
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2020-01-21
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