270km bioshield along state border – Times of India

Kolkata News

Kolkata: The state environment department finalised a 270km bioshield to prevent transboundary pollution which travels from other states in the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the city, causing a sharp spike in pollution levels, said Bengal environment minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia.
Three layers of trees with varying heights will be planted along the Bengal border across Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, West Burdwan and Birbhum. The state Biodiversity Board is preparing a detailed project report with details on tree species, number of plants and gap between two trees. Once done, it’ll be the first of it’s kind in India to use bioshield for blocking the movement of pollutants, said Bhunia. Apart from district authorities, departments like forest and irrigation will play a vital role in the plantation drive. Our principal secretary Roshni Sen will hold a meeting with five districts, the minister said.
“Kolkata’s worsening AQI is inevitable in winter with thermal inversion at play. A study showed that more than 50% of the city’s pollution is contributed by pollution from Punjab, UP, and Bihar. Thus, we urgently shifted to regional airshed management rather than a city-specific graded action response plan,” said PCB chairman Kalyan Rudra.
The environment department will put up a display board at each municipality to show local pollution levels. “This is a very important tool,” said Rudra.

Source: https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vdGltZXNvZmluZGlhLmluZGlhdGltZXMuY29tL2NpdHkva29sa2F0YS8yNzBrbS1iaW9zaGllbGQtYWxvbmctc3RhdGUtYm9yZGVyL2FydGljbGVzaG93Lzk3NDcwNzg0LmNtc9IBZ2h0dHBzOi8vbS50aW1lc29maW5kaWEuY29tL2NpdHkva29sa2F0YS8yNzBrbS1iaW9zaGllbGQtYWxvbmctc3RhdGUtYm9yZGVyL2FtcF9hcnRpY2xlc2hvdy85NzQ3MDc4NC5jbXM?oc=5