Kolkata, Oct 21 || Indiscriminate bursting of firecrackers during Kali Puja has pushed the Air Quality Index (AQI) to "unhealthy levels" at various pockets in Kolkata.
Although the Kolkata Police had issued a circular fixing the timing of burning firecrackers between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday, for the two occasions of Kali Puja and Diwali, the directive was blatantly violated in all corners of the city.
Bursting of firecrackers started as early as 5 p.m. on Monday and it continued much later after midnight. The city’s police directive banning burning of sound-crackers as per directives of the court was blatantly violated even on Monday.
The worst AQI was reported from the New Town area in northern outskirts Kolkata where the PM 2.5 reached 199, which comes under the red or unhealthy category, where some may experience health effects, especially those people who are sensitive to air pollution.