Environmental Degradation in Kolkata:

Survey and analysis report

Pritha Gupta
F09102

This report seeks to identify and analyze the reasons for environmental degradat
ion in the city of Kolkata that has taken place in the recent past. The report a
lso contains statistical data collected from various related surveys to highligh
t the true unbiased picture of the city.

Contents

I come from Kolkata, one of the oldest and largest metropolitan cities of India.
Formed out of the conjunction of three villages by the East India Company, the
city was the trade, commerce and political hub of the country for two hundred or
so years. Currently, the capital of the state of West Bengal, Kolkata is a with
ered, over-populated and a city over burdened with various issues ranging from e
nvironmental degradation to socio-political instabilities.
The various socio-environmental plaguing the city currently are population burst
, drinking water shortage, air pollution, water pollution and the like.
Kolkata and Howrah, the twin cities situated on the eastern and the western side
of the river Hooghly, were established a few hundred years ago. During the Brit
ish Rule, Kolkata was initially the capital of the country and later of Bengal.
Due to the availability of infrastructural facility which included river fronts,
a port and an abundance of water and raw materials for industrial activity such
as coal, minerals, jute etc., industrial development took place predominantly i
n these two cities and in the fringe areas mostly by the side of the river. Wher
eas Howrah saw a tremendous growth in the industries such as iron foundries, hot
rolling mills, metal finishing units etc, a number of thermal power stations an
d various process industries of different sizes started functioning in Kolkata.
As most of these industries were built long before the environmental concern cam
e to the forefront, they generate various forms of emissions in large quantities
because of their outdated technology and absence of pollution abatement measure
s. After the introduction of pollution control legislation, most of these indust
ries have been put on environmental compliance. Recently attention has been give
n to the small sector industries and it is expected that they would also be able
to comply with the emission norms. Efforts to bring about improvements in this
sector through a process of partnership, technology transfer and financial assis
tance is taking place.

Air Pollution:
Industrial emissions in the city and its suburbs are caused by coal burning in t
hermal power plants and other industries. Besides, the emissions from rapidly in
creasing numbers of vehicles are also largely responsible for the high level of
air pollution in the city atmosphere. Over the last decade the number of registe
red automobiles in Kolkata has increased by 52 percent. The effective road area
available in Kolkata is less than 5 percent of the total area. In Howrah the pat
tern is similar or worse. Very high automobile density, disproportionately low p
ercentage of road network, congestion and traffic jams, aging vehicles and unsci
entific traffic management are the major reasons for high emission of air pollut
ants from automobiles. Some estimates suggest that approximately 54% of vehicles
are “old” and nearly 65% of vehicle population diesel powered. The problem is so in
jurious that pollutants like PM 10 exceed standards by 1.5 times.
There are three basic groups of pollutants. First, there are the pollutants emit
ted by auto exhausts. This includes oxides of sulphur, nitrogen, and also carcin
ogens like benzene, toluene and so on. Second, there’s industry-related pollution.
This mainly includes Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), mostly measuring betwe
en 2.5 and 10 microns, which can be inhaled. The third category is indoor pollut
ion and includes dustmites, fungi, pests, cigarette smoke, smoke from chulhas, e
tc.
According to a report published in The Telegraph in February, 2009, Kolkata has
now overtaken Delhi to become the most polluted city in India in terms of air po
llution. A study released by the Delhi-based environment group Centre for Scien
ce and Environment (CSE) revealed cold statistics about Kolkata’s air pollution wi
th an annual average of respirable suspended particulate matter level exceeding
the national standards, in 2007, by 1.4 times. As per the monthly data available
for last year the trend seems to be continuing. With the annual average level o
f nitrogen in the city in 2007 being 56ug/cum, environmentalists claim the situa
tion is worsening day by day. Even the carcinogenic benzene levels in Kolkata w
ere found in the winter of 2006-2007 to be as high as 36 ug/cum, which is shocki
ngly higher than Delhi which has larger number of vehicles. The national draft a
mbient air standard proposed a limit of 5 ug/cum as annual average, which would
mean the city had dangerously high levels of carcinogen, emitted largely by two-
stroke vehicles.
Air pollution becomes acute in Calcutta during winter. Pollutants cannot dispers
e easily, mainly due to inversion, low wind speed and high congestion. Although
Calcutta is known to be one of the world s most polluted cities; available data
on pollutant pollution are scanty. So far, data on suspended particulate matter
(SPM), SO2, NOx in Calcutta for a couple of years are available. Relatively smal
l amounts of data are available on other parameters like CO, benzene soluble org
anic matter (BSOM), heavy metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Almost
no data are available on benzene-toluene-xylene (BTX), organolead, heavy metals
in inhalable particulate matter (IPM) and acidity of moisture.
Samples were collected from five important street crossings in the core city. Th
e average SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) concentrations during the winter in
1992, 1993 and 1994 were 982 µg/m3, 1007 µg/m3 and 1181 µg/m3 respectively. High SPM
in the city air also showed high BSOM (Benzene Soluble Organic Matter). High BSO
M was associated with high value of PAH (Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons). Twe
lve PAH compounds were identified and quantified in the city air and some of the
m are suspected carcinogen. Among the ten heavy metals determined, lead concentr
ation in SPM during winter for Calcutta was high in comparison to other cities o
f the world. The total organolead concentrations in ambient air were measured an
d indicated high value of organolead in the city air. The average organolead con
centration for 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 303 ng/m3, 299 µg/m3 and 296 µg/m3 respectiv
ely. Concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene were found to be much higher
than in other studies elsewhere in the world. The average benzene concentration
during winter in 1992, 1994 and 1996 were 1000 µg/m3, 708 µg/m3 and 491 µg/m3 respecti
vely. Various factors like use of kerosene, coal as cooking fuel, coal in use by
power plants surrounding the city, large number of cars, poor quality of fuel,
bad condition of the city streets, small road area compared to the total city ar
ea, high population density, miserable slum conditions of habitation and overall
poor socio-economic status of city dwellers are together responsible for the se
rious air pollution in the city.
More than 18 persons per one lakh people in Kolkata fall victim to lung cancer e
very year, compared to the next highest 13 per one lakh in Delhi. More than seve
n in 10 people in Kolkata, including children as well as elderly people, suffer
from various kinds of respiratory disorders. The roadside hawkers, shop-owners,
traffic policemen, auto-rickshaw drivers, rickshaw-pullers and others who spend
long hours on the road were the most vulnerable.
Hydrocarbons emitted by automobiles are toxic and react with haemoglobin in the
blood. The effect of nitrogen is adverse and permanent. It increases children s
susceptibility to diseases like influenza. Sulphur dioxide in the air spreads ai
r acidity and corrodes buildings. It causes irritation to various parts of the r
espiratory systems.
The heart may be damaged by air pollution, secondary to lung diseases. Nitrogen
dioxide results in pulmonary oedema and aggravation of coronary disease. Toxic e
ffects of lead pollution include impaired IQ development defects in children. Th
ese are few of the many effects of air pollution on human beings. Of the 3 milli
on premature deaths in the world that occur each year due to outdoor and indoor
air pollution, the highest numbers are assessed to occur in India. And in India,
Kolkata is the most polluted city in terms of air pollution.
The most susceptible to air pollution are children of school-going age. Say, chi
ldren between 3 to 8 years are most at risk. A recent WHO study had found that u
p to 3 million children across the world die each year due to environmental reas
ons. In the short term, mostly respiratory problems are seen.
Oxides of nitrogen and carbon, as well as ozone, cause lung irritation. But in t
he long term, say after exposure for 20 to 25 years to aromatic hydrocarbons lik
e benzene and toluene or katatel and leaded petrol, cancer becomes a risk. The l
ead content in petrol often leads to blood cancer. This why Kolkata is often cal
led the “Cancer Capital of India”
If the presence of carcinogens is high over a certain area, the incidence of can
cer will also rise. This is also linked with the population density in the area.
The percentage of carcinogenic pollutants as per the population or traffic dens
ity determines the incidence of cancer. And in Kolkata, the population density i
s high. So, even if the SPM is not as high as in other areas, the high populatio
n factor comes into play. And during rush hour, everyone has less air to breathe
, and this increases the likelihood of cancer. The chances of having asthma incr
ease 25 per cent in high traffic areas. Repeated bronchospasms, or wheezing, is
a common symptom. Asthma, which is basically a genetic condition, is also trigge
red by pollutants.

In this regard,
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 extends to the whole of
India. As per the law,
"Air pollutant" means any solid, liquid or gaseous substance 2[(including noise)
] present in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be injuri
ous to human beings or other living creatures or plants or property or environme
nt;
"Air pollution," means the presence in the atmosphere of any air
In Kolkata, recently a debate arose regarding two-stroke auto rickshaws rampant
in the city.
The West Bengal government has not been able to take stringent action to complet
ely to ban the two-stroke auto-rickshaws plying on Kolkata roads. The auto-ricks
haws use highly toxic fuel mixtures and emit fatal fumes routinely across the ci
ty. And this despite an environment-related court ban on the offending three-whe
elers.
It is hoped that there would be political will to implement such bans.
Some Related Study Reports:
The study of Air Pollution is done by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi
under National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (NAAQM) Programme. Under this pro
gramme, the air quality in Kolkata is monitored by the National Environmental En
gineering Research Institute in three monitoring stations whereas in Howrah the
West Bengal Pollution Control Board generates the air quality data at three stat
ions. Besides this programme, the State Board has been operating a large air qua
lity monitoring network specially in Kolkata (25 stations) over the last three y
ears in order to have a much more representative air quality data for Kolkata ne
cessary for taking effective policy decisions for improving the air quality of t
he city.
The findings of the survey are shared in this report to understand better the ex
tent of environmental degradation in and around Kolkata.
Ambient air quality in Kolkata during the year 2001
(Air quality monitored at 25 stations in Kolkata)
SPM RPM Pb SO2 NO2
Annual average value for the year 2001 189 m g/m3 106 m g/m3 0.4 m g/
m3 10 m g/m3 64 m g/m3

As the Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) level in Kolkata ambient air is very low, the tren
d analysis of the data of the parameter is not shown.
The seasonal (monthly) variations of the concentration of these parameters duri
ng 2001 against the daily average standards for the same parameters are shown be
low in order to illustrate the degree of non-attainment of the norms.

Benzene concentration was monitored at five traffic intersections in the city of

Kolkata during the winter months of 2000 – 2001 to assess the level of benzene in
city air at respirable height. The data obtained for the five stations are give
n below:
The data revealed that the concentration of benzene at traffic intersection poi
nts is much above the WHO guideline standard (5 – 20 m g/m3) even during the night
hours when plying of petrol driven vehicles becomes negligible (night hour traf
fic in the city is dominated by diesel driven goods vehicles).
The area in which the survey was carried out
Water Pollution:
Water pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems facing the wor
ld.Water pollution exacerbates the problem of water scarcity at local and region
al level by reducing the amount of water available for productive purposes. Wate
r pollution comes from many sources, including untreated sewage, chemical discha
rges, spillage of toxicmaterials, harmful materials leached from land disposal s
ites, agricultural chemicals, silt from irrigation schemes, and atmospheric poll
utants dissolved in rainwater. The directdisposal of domestic and industrial was
tewater into watercourses is the major source of pollutants in developing countr
ies.
In Asia Pacific countries there is severity of water quality problem. Pathogenic
bacteria and virus are found in water ways. The median fecal coliform count in
the riversis 50 times higher than the WHO guidelines. Water bodies are polluted
by organic matterfrom sewage and industrial processes and groundwater is also po
lluted. Fertiliser, pesticides, insecticides and animal waste from agriculture a
reas another source of organic pollution. There is increased contamination of he
avy metals and toxic chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead, it ex
ceeds basic water quality standards. Sedimentation especially in downstream area
s due to deforestation and land conversion, and soil erosion is exacerbating the
natural process of siltation of waterbodies. There is also increasing salinity.
Use of water is responsible for a large percentage of waterborne diseases like
cholera, typhoid and hepatitis, it is reported that 15 out of 1000 children bor
n in the developing countries die before the age of five from diarrhoea caused b
y drinking polluted water. Water pollution increases the scarcity of fresh water
and on the other hand water scarcity has negative effect on sustainable devel
opment.
The Bengal delta includes a megacity Kolkata of 14 million people, Sunderbans bi
osphere with wild life and mangrove forests, and in between these are villages,
small towns, fisheries, forests, agricultural land and water bodies. There is de
clining water quality due to upstream pollution, there is flooding, and in the c
oast there is intrusion of salt water, sedimentation, pollution and widespread c
ontamination of chemicals. Some specific areas have been identified for assessme
nt of pollution so that suitable counter-measures can be adopted.
The Hooghly, a tributary of the Ganges, flows through the Kolkata Metropolitan A
rea. The river was highly polluted. Since the Hooghly is a tidal river, and in v
iew of reduced upstream flow, the salinity of the river increases at water intak
e points. After construction of barrage at Farakka upstream, it has been possibl
e to reduce tidal effects and salinity. For navigation purposes, however, dredgi
ng has to be done by the Port Authorities, which improves flow in river. But the
industrial and domestic wastewater discharged into the river remained a cause f
or concern. To address this problem, the Government of India formulated the Gang
a Action Plan in 1984 with the objective of arresting the pollution load to the
Ganges by preventing discharge of sewage and drainage to the river. The project
has helped reduce pollution to the river and water quality has improved.
There are industries, large agricultural fields and big cities like Kanpur, Alla
habad, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Patna and Kolkata situated along the river. About one
-third of the population of India lives in the fertile Gangetic plain. Water sup
ply to many cities is from the river and people bathe in the sacred river, espec
ially on certain religious days, to purify their souls. It was estimated that 14
00 million litres of sewage and 200 million litres of industrial effluents were
discharged everyday into the river. The Kolkata Metropolitan Area, located in lo
wer Gangetic plain, was most affected. Kolkata Metropolitan Area includes three
municipal corporations, 38 municipalities and a large number of non-municipal ur
ban areas and village councils. It has 365 drainage outfalls in the river. Fortu
nately, because of eastward slope, Kolkata city sewage and drainage are discharg
ed towards the east to another river.
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) conducted water qu
ality survey of the Ganges in 1997 on behalf of Metropolitan Authority. The wate
r quality survey near the intake points showed that most physio-chemcial qualiti
es were suitable for domestic water supply after conventional water treatment. H
owever, the bacteriological quality observations indicated a high degree of cont
amination from wastes of domestic and animal origin. One of the important recomm
endations in the NEERI study is the identification scheme for the wastewater dra
ins and estimation of flow and characteristics of the wastewater and development
of a unique flow simulation model for the drains influenced by the tides and it
s use to provide spread in wastewater flow and BOD loads for the major drains.
GAP is meant for preventing discharge of sewage and drainage into the river, but
it is not for storm or rainwater. Though pollution in the river has been reduce
d, actual assessment could not be made because many upstream towns have not comp
leted the projects. There were litigations, because of notice of closure to a la
rge number of industries dischaging effluents in to the river. The Supreme Court
of India came in favour of purification of the Ganges. People’s participation was
desired, but the mechanism is yet to be developed.
Out of total water used by community, 90% is for irrigation. Cultivation also co
nsumes chemical fertilizers on a large scale often including some banned chemica
ls. With large scale use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides in agriculture
, polluted effluent is drained into the rivers and water bodies with surface run
off. Irrigation water, mixed with chemicals, also seeps into the subsoil. Thus g
roundwater and surface water are contaminated with harmful chemicals like arseni
c, fluorides, etc., which pose as serious health hazards, and can only be remove
d by expensive purification methods.
In India, Bangladesh and China alone, millions are exposed to arsenic and fluori
de. Though the actual cause of contamination has not been exactly pinpointed, ov
er-exploitation of groundwater for agriculture is one reason. With receding wate
r tables due to high exploitation of aquifers in many Asian cities, the piezomet
ric surface has been broken down. In Kolkata, Beijing, Jakarta, Manila and Bangk
ok, water levels have dropped causing land subsidence in many areas.
Groundwater Contamination:
The arsenic contamination problem in West Bengal has been reported from time to
time since 1978. A systematic study undertaken by the School of Environmental St
udies and School of Water Resources Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata ha
s shown the presence of arsenic above the maximum permissible limit of 0.05mg/li
tre in groundwater and clinical manifestations of arsenic contamination in six d
istricts of West Bengal and the affected area has a total population of 30 milli
on. The study also reveals that at least 125000 people are showing clinical mani
festation of arsenic poisoning. There are also instances where groundwater in th
e metros is polluted by presence of factories, manufacturing pesticides, in resi
dential wards. In developing countries the use of arsenical pesticides has not b
een seriously restricted and smelting operations are flourishing. The waste from
these factories, containing dangerous proportions of arsenic, is often discharg
ed without treatment, which contaminates the groundwater.
East Kolkata Wetlands: An ecological system in itself
Urbanization has effect on groundwater, which is linked with, land use, effluent
and waste disposal system. The classic example of urbanization affecting adjoin
ing areas is Eastern Metropolitan Bypass which runs parallel to the main city, c
onnecting the southern part of the city to the northern part, bypassing the main
city. The EM Bypass is also referred to as East Kolkata Wetland as the region i
s largely inundated by canals. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation area generates
roughly 600 million liters of sewage and wastewater everyday and more than 2500
metric Tons of garbage. The wastewater is led by underground sewers to the pump
ing stations in the eastern limit of the city, and then pumped into open channel
s . The responsibility of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation ends with the reachi
ng of the wastewater to the outfall channels. Thereafter, the sewage and wastewa
ter is drawn into the fisheries of the East Kolkata Wetland by the owners of the
fisheries, where within a few days’ detention, bio-degradation of the organic com
pounds of the sewage and wastewater takes place.
Organic loading rate on these fish ponds appears to vary between 20-70 kg. per h
ectare per day (in the form of bio-chemical oxygen demand). There are a networks
of channels that are used to supply untreated sewage and to drain out the spent
water (effluent). The cumulative efficiency in reducing the B.O.D. (a measure o
f organic pollution) of the sewage wastewater is above 80% and that in reducing
the coliform bacteria is 99.99% on an average. The solar radiation here is about
250 langleys per day, and is adequate for photosynthesis to take place. In fact
, the sewage fed fishery ponds act as solar reactors. Solar energy is tapped by
a dense population of plankton. Plankton are consumed by the fishes. While the p
lankton play a highly significant role in degrading the organic matter in the wa
stewater, it becomes a problem of pond management to tackle the phenomenon of pl
ankton overgrowth. It is at this critical phase of the ecological process that t
he fishes play an important role by grazing on the plankton. The two fold role p
layed by the fishes is indeed crucial – they maintain proper balance of the plankt
on population in the pond and also convert the available nutrients in the wastew
ater into readily consumable form (viz. fish) for the humans. This complex ecolo
gical process has been adopted by the fish farmers of the East Kolkata Wetland,
who have developed such a mastery of these resource recovery activities that the
y are easily growing fish at an yield rate and production cost unmatched in any
other fresh water fish ponds of this country.
On the other hand, the conventional technology options for the treatment of muni
cipal sewage and wastewater have been found to be excessively capital intensive,
operationally unreliable and highly energy expensive. Compare this with the cit
y of Kolkata which gets its huge volumes of daily sewage treated at no expense a
nd getting in addition substantial daily supply of highly edible freshwater fish
(a very essential protein supplement in their daily food). In fact, Kolkata cit
y receives about one third of its daily requirement of fish from the sewage-fed
fisheries (about 11,000 Metric Tonnes per annum).
Kolkata generates roughly 2500 Metric Tonnes of garbage (viz. solid wastes) whic
h is collected daily and dumped at designated sites in the East Kolkata wetland.
The Garbage filled areas are extensively used to raise a variety of vegetables.
The city receives roughly 150 Metric Tonnes of vegetable everyday from its garb
age farms.
The paddy fields in the East Kolkata Wetland (many of which get irrigation water
from the effluent waters of the fisheries) produce 15,000 Metric Tonnes of addi
tional paddy per annum.
On the issue of characteristics and importance of East Kolkata Wetland to the ec
osystem, it is claimed by environmentalists that these wastewater bodies and fis
heries act as carbon-dioxide sink and help to improve the air quality of Kolkata
and its environs. Any loss of wetlands, therefore, will have a negative impact
on the overall environmental condition of the area. So, the role and importance
of the wetland in relation to its surroundings cannot be undermined. It is vital
for maintaining micro climatic condition and absorbing the pollution from the a
ir space.
The East Kolkata Wetland and waste recycling region serves to:
absorb and treat in the most efficient, economical and natural way the huge volu
me of sewage and wastewater and urban solid and air wastes generated by the Kolk
ata city – at no cost to the city but with much gain
fulfil substantially the requirement of fish, vegetables and food-grains in the
city
absorb the pollution from, and purify the air that the citizens breathe.absorb a
nd pass down to downstream creeks and the sea the flood waters that
the monsoon downpours bring down on the city.
provide a habitat for a variety of flora and fauna and living organisms endemic
to wetlands
provide the food chain and waste-to-wealth recycling so unique and essential
to this city
maintain the micro climatic condition of the region
maintain the delicate ecological balance in a fragile environment and eco-
system.
Provide livelihood support for thousands of local villagers who also have the un
ique skill of using wastewater to grow fish and vegetable and thereby help susta
in a stable urban fringe
Noise Pollution:
Noise can cause irritation and multiple health problems. Major health hazards fr
om noise pollution include loss of hearing, hypertension, annoyance, fatigue and
physiological disorders related to cardiac, digestive and nervous system. Noise
may be caused by a number of business activities related to community life, ind
ustry and transport.
Ambient noise as such includes all noise within a given environment in close pro
ximity or at a distance from the source of noise. Due to environmental impact of
noise on human health or other biota (especially fauna), National standards hav
e been prescribed for day time and night time for four types of tracts. Besides
the related activities in human settlements, norms are also available for protec
ted conservation areas.
Although no data is available to highlight the impact of high level of noise on
public health in Calcutta area, two recent press reports on impact of noise from
bursting of crackers to celebrate events leading to death would indicate the hi
gh risk the human life is subjected to by the impact of noise. Information provi
ded by ENT specialists and Psychiatrists indicate an upward level of cases repor
ting hearing loss, psychotic mental disorder, anxiety etc. The proven impact of
noise of human health, as claimed by the ENT specialists, should be noted.
Various sources of sound pollution are :
Industry/commercial activities: Noise generated from numerous large, medium, sma
ll and cottage industries. Recent AFS noted significant noise probably caused by
the operation of the relief valve at the Titagarh power plant. Operations of di
esel generators especially in the business areas of Gariahat and Hatibagan and
Frequent use of microphones and stereo boxes used for advertisement are also maj
or sources.
Transportation: Indiscriminate use of horns including use of air and multitoned
horns which are banned, use of poorly maintained vehicles, Rail and trams runnin
g on steel tracks, landing and take-off of aeroplanes at the Netaji Subash Inter
national Airport also add to the cause.
Community Life: Use of blaring microphones and stereo boxes during festivals and
public meetings, human activities in public places like vegetable and fish mark
ets, cinemas, restaurants and shopping areas greatly cause noise pollution.
Firecrackers generate instantaneous impulsive noise, which when measured in free
field condition in impulsive mode, gives peak sound pressure level. It is quite
obvious that a number of crackers when bursting serially can easily form a band
of continuous noise in the presence of reflecting surfaces. The reverberation o
f sound wave due to repeated reflection in the surfaces prolongs the time interv
al of prevailing sound intensity. The continuous band of noise, thusformed, defi
nitely affects the ambient level in close proximity.

Some glaring cases of environmental degradation and their effects:

Rabindra Sarobar Lake, previously known as Dhakuria Lake, is an artificial lake
in south Kolkata. This is Kolkata’s only national lake is spread over 48 hectares
and comprises several smaller water bodies. It was dug in 1920s to provide soil
for filling up the low-lying areas of Ballygunge, which was at that time being m
ade habitable by the Calcutta Improvement Trust. It is popularly referred to as
the "Lungs of Calcutta".
The lake is suffering from environmental degradation. Water pollution is on the
rise, owing to encroachment. Rabindra Sarobar has shrunk beyond recognition and
its water is heavily polluted as large numbers of people are using its water for
washing and bathing purposes, daily.
Victoria Memorial is Turning Yellow: Poisonous fumes, dust and smog are staining
the white-marbled Queen Victoria Memorial, one of India s best-known landmarks
from the days of the British empire. Built in the early 20th century, the memori
al houses one of the world s longest paintings -- an elephant procession -- amon
g some 3,000 exhibits in 25 galleries. A bronze statue of Queen Victoria is enth
roned at the entrance and the dome is inscribed with the text of her imperial pr
oclamation speech.
The monument, built a century ago when Kolkata - then known as Calcutta - was th
e capital of British-ruled India, is turning yellow, according to the National E
nvironmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).
East Kolkata Tannery Belt: There’s a huge tannery belt in the east Kolkata wetland
s in the Tangra region which have long been polluting the area and rendering the
adcajent environment hazardous. Besides air pollution, emissions by the tanneri
es also polluted the many water bodies in these areas. There are several cases o
f skin cancer reported from the area.
Loss of Male fertility: A joint study conducted by Cleveland Clinic, Calcutta Un
iversity and AMRI Medical Centre has revealed that in Kolkata about 40-50 per ce
nt of the infertility cases are due to male infertility alone, which is happenin
g due to inhaling toxic fumes. The recent study in Kolkata selected about 4000 m
en with standard sperm count but still found all essential fertility requirement
s down in comparison to 1980s. The study also points out that specifications ess
ential for fertility like sperm motility, forward progressive sperm motility and
sperm volume have all decreased significantly in males here.
Thus in the preceding paragraphs, we have seen the current standpoint as to whic
h Kolkata is in now with regards to environmental degradation. In a report by Wo
rld Bank in 2002, Kolkata was termed as the 3rd most polluted city in the world.
Though much has been said and done regarding these issues, what matters most to
alleviate the situation is yet to be done. That is, to create awareness among t
he ever-increasing population of the city regarding the perils of pollution and
means to prevent it. This, coupled with some effective government regulations an
d monitoring can truly improve the current scenario to a more optimistic one.
References:
1. Various web articles of Times of India and The Telegraph
2. Air Quality Management Strategy for Kolkata City under India Canada Envi
ronment Facility Project – A Case Study by Dr. D. Chakraborty & Dr. P. Bhattachary
a of West Bengal Pollution Control Board
3. POLLUTION ABATEMENT: KEY TO SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT By MS
. TANUSHREE MUKHERJEE and PROF. SANTOSH GHOSH
4. Reports by West Bengal Pollution Control Borad, NEERI and NAAQM
5. Various miscellaneous websites