Kolkata is currently confronting a severe and unprecedented deterioration in air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) registering levels that have alarmed residents, health professionals, and authorities alike. Over the past week, between Decmeber 6 to 12, the city’s AQI has consistently remained in the severe category, surpassing even Delhi — traditionally India’s epicenter of air pollution — for several consecutive days.
Recent readings indicate that AQI values in central monitoring locations such as Victoria Memorial have soared beyond 340, firmly placing the city’s air in the hazardous category and posing significant health risks to the entire population. The escalation is attributed to a combination of stagnant meteorological conditions, including weak winds and temperature inversion that trap pollutants close to the ground, as well as emissions from vehicles, construction activities, biomass burning, and other urban sources.
City residents found themselves gasping for breath as a dense blanket of toxic smog settled over the metropolis, with AQI levels surpassing those of the national capital and persistently falling within the severe — at times even hazardous — zone. Kolkata’s AQI ranged from 184 to an alarming 439, with the highest reading recorded on 11 December at 6:04 pm — a level that unequivocally pushed the city into the severe danger zone, according to AQI marker AQI.in. This sharp spike in pollution has prompted urgent health advisories, with experts recommending that residents, particularly vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions, limit outdoor exposure and take protective measures.
The severity of the situation underscores the pressing need for strengthened environmental controls and coordinated action by civic authorities, environmental agencies, and community stakeholders to mitigate pollutant emissions and safeguard public health.
According to the AQI determinant, the breathing for 24 hours in the current air quality of the city is equivalent to smoking 11.2 cigarettes in a day, 78 in a week and 336 in a month.
