AQI deteriorates to 'poor' in parts of Kolkata amid Chhath celebrations

Air quality deteriorated to the 'poor' category at two major monitoring stations in Kolkata on Sunday amid bursting of firecrackers during Chhath celebrations, a West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) official said.

Rabindra Bharati University recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 219 and Victoria Memorial registered 212, as per WBPCB readings.

The poor air quality was reported amid large-scale Chhath celebrations across Kolkata.

Ballygunge registered an AQI of 161 and Bidhannagar 146, both falling in the 'moderate' category, the official said.

The readings indicated a marked variation in air quality across different parts of the city, with the northern and central monitoring locations reporting relatively higher pollution levels, environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh said.

Under the Central Pollution Control Board's classification, an AQI between 201 and 300 falls in the 'poor' category, which may cause breathing discomfort to people on prolonged exposure, particularly to those with respiratory ailments, the WBPCB said.