Air quality improves due to restrictions&
Kolkata: An official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board told The Telegraph on Friday that air quality in Kolkata has improved significantly since this week’s restrictions to check the spread of coronavirus.
As the number of vehicles has reduced significantly along with the commercial activities resulting in less air pollution, the amount of sulphur, nitrogen, carbon particulates in the air has decreased.
Covid-19 patients and people with respiratory problems enjoy improved air quality, according to the environmentalist S M Ghosh. The air quality index (AQI) in the cities ranged between 39 to 63 pm 2.5 at 6 pm, according to the official.
According to him, only the Rabindra Bharati University air quality monitoring station next to the arterial B T Road had an air quality index of 95, falling within the acceptable range of 51 to 100.
AQI was measured at Ballygunje as 63, Bidhannagar as 51, Fort William at 60 and Rabindra Sarobar as 56. At Jadavpur, it was 39, which is considered good. He revealed that the AQI hovered at levels between 201 and 250 in February and March (for poor levels), and then fell to 101-200 (moderate levels) sometime in April, and finally reached satisfactory levels in late April.
In environment parlance, a satisfactory air quality index means minor breathing problems to people with respiratory disease and heart conditions, moderate labelling means breathing problems to most the following prolonged exposure, he added.
The previous day, Ghosh reported that between 30 micrograms of PM2.5 (2.5 microns) had been measured in open areas, while a room on the side of a major road had measured 8 micrograms of respirable particulates.
Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/kolkata/article/kolkata-air-quality-improves-due-to-restriction-in-vehicle-movement-amid-covid/754533
