Kolkata: a sharp increase in the use of private vehicles during the madness of pandal-hopping this year see a surge in air pollution.
Last year, when people were more restrained and there were fewer vehicles on the road, the air quality was significantly better.
It’s Ashtami and Navami (13 and 14 October), the concentration of PM2.5 in the air around the city (75.3 μg / m3 and 76.7 μg / m3) more than six times higher than the last Ashtami and Navami (23 and 24 October) with 12.5 μg / m3.
PM2.5 is the smallest and most dangerous pollutant.
Chemicals that drive piggyback on these particles play chaos with human life.
Particle material size 2.5 or PM2.5 is ultrafine particles in diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, which is about 3% of human hair diameter, and can run directly into the bloodstream.
“Finer particle things like PM2.5 come from the car’s exhaust, smoke from Chullah in the streets of the streets and restaurants, road dust and aerosols.
Because puja involves activities that produce all the pollutants, the surge is very unavoidable,” said A WBPCB scientist.
“Unlike last year, Warpelpers and Pandal Hopper this year spilled all the barriers to the pandemic and moved from a pandal to another on two-wheeled and four-wheeled wheels.
Because of the sudden entry of a large number of vehicles, there was a growl too.
Most of the riders really were really Turn on the car engine even when static to keep AC.
Thus, car smoke continues to pollute ambient air, “said Result Mohan Ghosh, an environmental activist.
Even on October 7, the count of PM2.5 below 30μg / m3.
But from October 10, Panchami, Puja Revelers crashed into the road and the number of PM2.5 suddenly rose to 55.8 μg / m3.
From October 11, Shashthi, up further to 71.7 μg / m3.
Since then, no one has looked back.
Smart shower in the dashami was a saved grace when PM2.5 did not fall to 64.4 μg / m3.
“What is worse is that this marks the beginning of the worst phase of city winter pollution.
During Diwali, it reaches another peak – the point does not return.
The spread of pollutants gradually lower due to meteorological and cities changes gradually become a gas chamber with bursts -Tiba in health problems, “said Deepanjan Majumdar, a scientist with the National Environmental Research Engineering (Neer).