Kolkata, Nov 24 (FN Agency) The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) hasdeployed sprinklers and mist cannons across this metropolisin a bid to weed out the air pollution and smog, creatingbreathing trouble to the netizens, especially the elderly peopleand morning strollers, sources said on Friday. State urban development minister Firhad Hakim, also the Mayorof the KMC directed the cosevancy officials to deploythe mist cannons and sprinklers on the roads, where the air qualitywas poor across this metropolis. Sources said two such machines are in operation for now and more couldbe requisitioned if the situation needed, sources added.
The air quality has been affected due to festive seasons with millionsof people from the districts converging into the city to celebrate Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Dewali.Crackers were used during Puja and Dewali which had a bearing onthe existing air quality with explosives smoke caused the airpollution. Besides these sudden rise of entry of vehicular traffic from theoutskirts of the city carrying people during festival and onset of wintry dew thickened theair diring the nights, sources added. Even after nearly two weeks of festival of lights, the air qualityremained nearly suffocative causing health hazards to the netizens,especially to the elderly people and children.
In highly populated Ballygunge area in the southern part of thismetropolis the air quality index (AQI) of 296 at 6 pm on Thursday, Bidhannagar (284) in the eastand Jadavpur (252), also in south was not upto he mark, a mediareport. quoting West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) as saying. Rabindra Sarobar, called the heart of south, registered 254 AQI at 6 pm. These are treated as poor in the environmental terms, the reportmaintained.KMC sources said the deployment of the machines drive away dust fromthe air to the roads and water sprinklers machines would clean the roadsand restore the air quality at specific time.