Kolkata Municipal Corporation tries to check rising air pollution, environmentalists say 'measures not enough'

Kolkata, Jan 22 (IANS) A day after Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim instructed all police stations and traffic outposts in the city to be proactive in controlling air pollution, after the Calcutta High Court took suo motu cognisance of the issue, environmentalists on Thursday said that the measures are not enough.

The environmentalists said that it is too little and too late as the city has been grappling with high air pollution levels for a very long time, and several measures have not been implemented strictly.

On Wednesday, the Kolkata Mayor chaired a meeting at the civic body's headquarters in Kolkata, which was attended by Swapan Samaddar, Member of the Mayor-in-Council for the Environment Department and Debasish Kumar, Member of the Mayor-in-Council for the Parks Department. Additional CP (4) of Kolkata Police, Shubankar Sinha Sarkar, was also in attendance.

Representatives from various government and private agencies were also present. However, according to corporation sources, no representative from the West Bengal Pollution Control Board was present at the meeting concerning pollution.

At this meeting, Mayor Hakim appealed to every police station and the Traffic Department to take active measures regarding issues such as lighting fires in various parts of the city, controlling vehicle emissions and burning dry leaves and wood.

Hakim also instructed that construction sites be fenced off and that extra water be sprinkled in areas where a lot of dust is generated.

The Mayor urged the authorities to be vigilant in controlling dust during Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) construction work near Victoria Memorial. It was also decided to control the dumping of construction waste, building materials and sand on the roads.

"The areas where metro construction is underway must be covered with green netting. Sufficient water must be sprinkled at the construction sites. The police have been instructed to increase traffic flow. They have also been told to monitor older vehicles to control those emitting black smoke. Vehicles failing pollution tests must be apprehended to prevent an increase in carbon particles in the air," said the Kolkata Mayor.

He further said, "There is a lack of departmental coordination within the corporation regarding the removal of construction waste lying on the roads. This needs to be resolved. To prevent dust from rising, the construction waste must be removed more quickly. For buildings under construction, work must be done with nets in place; otherwise, work will be ordered to stop. Construction materials cannot be left outside. Sufficient water must be used in construction work. I have also instructed the corporation to carry out watering with sprinklers and mist cannons in various places, including roads, for at least 16 hours a day in two shifts."

Speaking to IANS, environmentalist and green technologist Somendra Mohan Ghosh said that the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on poor Air Quality Index (AQI) was the urgent need of the hour for Kolkata.

Ghosh said diesel vehicle emissions, waste burning, and construction dust are key factors contributing to the increase in air pollution levels across the city.

He informed that in January, six out of seven Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in Kolkata showed 'poor' air quality status.

Ghosh said, "Key pollutants arise from uncovered construction materials, roadside coal-fired eateries and old diesel vehicles. There are only seven CAAQMS in Kolkata, which is insufficient for accurate coverage. Kolkata has recorded severe AQI levels (up to 314 in Jan 2026). The need for a denser network of low-cost sensors to complement existing stations to cover residential, commercial and industrial areas. Strict pollution control measures and GRAP implementation are the need of the hour."

He also pointed out that within 50 metres from the lake bank, an open garbage vat is causing severe environmental pollution in the eco-sensitive Rabindra Sarobar area in south Kolkata, flowing toxic dust particles in the air.

"Roadside stalls must use cleaner fuel like LPG and an electric cooking device or a solar panel cooking device. Use of adulterated fuel must be controlled. Cars running on diesel must not be allowed to enter Victoria Memorial, which is an eco-sensitive zone," added Ghosh.

On January 19, a division Bench headed by Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul took suo motu cognisance of rising pollution in West Bengal, especially in the state capital Kolkata.

Accordingly, a suo motu public interest litigation has been registered before the Chief Justice's division Bench in the matter. At the same time, two other public interest litigations (PILs) filed on the issue have been linked to the suo motu public interest litigation.

The hearing in the matter will be held on January 28. All parties linked to the earlier public interest litigations have been advised to be present in court on that day.