Improvement Offers Cautious Relief: Activists
By evening, five of the seven Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in the station turned pale green, indicating ‘satisfactory’ air quality, a welcome respite ahead of the approaching winter. Kolkata: Rain came as a saviour for Kolkata on Wednesday, washing away much of the pollution that had choked the city’s air following three days of incessant bursting of firecrackers.
The overnight showers improved Kolkata’s air quality dramatically with pollution levels dropping between 1 am and 4 am on Wednesday. Rabindra Bharati University on BT Road recorded the highest pollution levels, with AQI rising from 120 at 4 am to 150 at 9 am before declining marginally to 140 by 7 pm. Victoria Memorial registered 108 in the evening, against 118 at 1 am.
But, an IMD scientist said, so far, it did not look like it would have any impact on Bengal. cloud and weak winds could restrict pollutant dispersion, allowing concentrations to build up again, said a PCB scientist While rainfall helped remove suspended particulate matter from the atmosphere. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that a low-pressure area was likely to form over the Southeast Bay of Bengal around Friday following a developing cyclonic circulation near the Andaman Sea. But two monitoring stations remained in the ‘moderate’ category. The fluctuations highlighted the crucial role of weather in determining Kolkata’s pollution levels.
intermittent showers later in the day helped cleanse the air again Although cloudy skies and sluggish winds led to a mild rebound in particulate concentrations on Wednesday morning and afternoon.
The maximum temperature hovered around 30°C, while the minimum was around 22°C-23°C.
Chances of rainfall are considerably lower, though isolated showers could not be ruled out, said the Met office. But as the weather turned drier and temperature began to fall, sustaining Wednesday’s improvement could prove increasingly challenging, said a PCB official. Thursday is expected to bring a change in weather, with morning mist giving way to partly cloudy or mostly sunny skies. For environmentalists, such as Subhas Datta and Somendra Mohan Ghosh, the improvement offered cautious relief. With the wintry chill yet to set in, the showers have temporarily delayed the return of stagnant atmospheric conditions that could trap pollutants close to the ground.
After the rain at night, Kolkata experienced a generally cloudy day with spells of light rain on Wednesday.