KOLKATA: In 2021, PM2.5 - the tiniest of pollutants that play havoc with human lives - had for the first time touched the annual national ambient air quality standard of 40 g/m³ (microgram per cubic meter) in Kolkata. Compared to 2018, the dip in PM2.5 was 6.4%, revealed a study on air quality in six non-attainment cities in Bengal, including Kolkata, Howrah, Barrackpore, Durgapur, Haldia and Asansol.
PM2.5, because of its size, can travel straight into the bloodstream through the lung. The noxious chemicals riding on these particles trigger numerous health issues including cancer. "Meteorology played a huge role in the reduction in PM2.5 count but some decisive ground-level activities based on the understanding of a large number of data sets and research also paid rich dividends," said West Bengal Pollution Control Board chairman Kalyan Rudra. The ground-level activities include very tight satellite monitoring of crop-residue burning and immediate alert from its command centre at PCB to the district, sub-division, and block-level officers with latitude-longitude specifications.
