Kolkata, Dec 10 || In a rare and worrying development, Kolkata has overtaken Delhi in air pollution levels, with the city recording hazardous air quality on Tuesday night.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) at Victoria Memorial -- located in the city’s Maidan area -- stood at 342 (‘very poor’ to ‘hazardous’ range), significantly worse than Delhi’s reading of 299 (‘poor’).
The unusually high AQI in the heart of Kolkata has triggered concern among environmental experts, especially since Delhi is typically regarded as the country’s pollution hotspot.
Environmental technologist Somendra Mohan Ghosh attributed the city’s worsening air quality to four unchecked pollution sources in and around the Maidan.
Speaking to IANS, Ghosh identified biomass burning, ongoing underground metro construction, older vehicles above 15 years plying on the adjacent Maa flyover, and the use of coal and firewood by roadside food stalls in the nearby Esplanade bus stand area as key contributors to the pollution spike.