Kolkata needs regional airshed to address AQI deteriorations during winter: Study

Kolkata (The Uttam Hindu): Kolkata needs a “regional airshed” to address the burning of sharp deteriorations in Air Quality Index (AQUI), especially during the winter season, according to the latest study report titled ‘Designating Airsheds in India for Urban and Regional Air Quality Management’ published in MDPI’s Air journal. The study, which has recommended dividing India into 15 regional airsheds, each tailored to the specific climatic and pollution patterns of its region, has also argued that the regional airshed management could help Kolkata mitigate the external sources of pollution and help achieve cleaner and healthier air for its residents.

An airshed is a geographic area where air pollution is measured and managed as a whole. It recognises that air pollution does not stop at city or state borders and pollutants can travel across regions, which requires effective pollution management involving cooperation between cities, states, and even neighbouring countries. According to the lead author of the study Dr Sarath Guttikunda, Kolkata can gain considerable benefits from managing pollution within its immediate surroundings like putting in policies to curb vehicular pollution and this is reciprocal with what is happening in the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain area. “Coordinated management across Kolkata and other key areas on the IGP could create a positive feedback loop, enhancing air quality and health outcomes for the entire airshed,” Guttikunda added.

The study has pointed out that Kolkata’s air quality worsens significantly during the winter months, driven by a combination of meteorological factors and pollution sources from both within and beyond the city limits including vehicular pollution. Data from mid-January of 2024 showed that AQI in Kolkata ranged from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy" categories thus posing a heightened health risk, particularly for vulnerable groups, underscoring the need for urgent measures to improve the city’s air quality. The 15 proposed regional airsheds identified in the study include two for the Himalayas, four for Gangetic Plains, four for plateaus, one for arid or desert areas, three for coastal plains and one for the islands.