E-Paper
Kolkata’s air quality deteriorates as city celebrates Kali Puja
The bursting of firecrackers in Kolkata started in the early evening and continued till late in the night. Till around midnight, the state pollution control board received around 40 complaints
Kolkata’s air quality deteriorated in the early hours of Friday even as the Supreme Court had allowed only bursting of green crackers for two hours in Bengal during Kali Puja celebrated a day earlier.
Police arrested 88 people and seized around 219 kilograms of banned fireworks on Thursday till 8pm. But the actual celebration started after 8pm.
The levels of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) reached hazardous levels after midnight in most places across the city. In Jadavpur, Ballygunge, Jorasanko, Bidhannagar, and Rabindra Sarobar, the PM2.5 and PM10 levels remained hazardous for two to three hours before it came down to very poor and poor levels.
Also Read: Delhi’s air quality drops to ‘severe’ as Capital marks Diwali with firecrackers
PM2.5 is just around 30 times finer than the thickness of human hair and can reach up to the lungs. High levels of PM cause an itchy throat and cough in the short run. In the long, they can trigger diseases like asthma, bronchitis, lung damage, and heart diseases.
“Since September 10, we have seized more than 7,000 kilograms of banned fireworks and crackers. Around 150 persons have been arrested till around Thursday evening,” said a police officer in Kolkata.
The government had allowed the bursting of only green crackers for two hours during Kali Puja and Chhath Puja. But the Calcutta high court imposed a blanket ban on the sale, purchase, and usage of firecrackers, including green crackers in the state. Later, the Supreme Court set aside the high court’s order while allowing green crackers.
The bursting of firecrackers in Kolkata started in the early evening and continued till late in the night. Till around midnight, the State Pollution Control Board received around 40 complaints.
