Typhoon Sitrang’s rain and strong winds on Monday night caused the air quality index in the two cities to drop to 37 and 36 on Tuesday morning.
The post-Diwali air quality in Kolkata and Howrah, West Bengal’s two most polluted cities, was the finest in years.Typhoon Sitrang’s rain and powerful gusts on Monday night caused the two cities’ Air Quality Index (AQI) to drop to 37 and 36, respectively, on Tuesday morning.
The Central Pollution Control Board said that Kolkata’s AQI was 37 at 7 am on Tuesday, which . Delhi’s AQI was 326 (very poor), Chennai’s was 230, and Mumbai’s was 193. (poor).
Last year, Kolkata’s AQI on the day following Diwali was 207, which is considered being poor.
In 2020 there were 187 (moderate), 219 in 2019, and 326 in 2018.
The AQI in the industrial city of Howrah dropped to 36 on Tuesday morning.
Howrah’s AQI was 265 in 2021 the day after Diwali while it was 217 in 2020.
According to Bibhuti Biswas, a 72-year-old resident of Kolkata, such air quality after the Kali Puja night is inconceivable.
On Kali Puja night, we typically have to keep the windows closed to avoid smoke and pollution.
You felt a burning feeling in your throat and eyes.
Although there was some rain and wind, the pollution washed away.
We had the windows open thanks to the cyclone.
On Monday night, Cyclone Sitrang made landfall close to Barisal in Bangladesh, bringing Kolkata strong gusts and light rain (2.4 mm). The air quality index (AQI) ranges from 0 to 50, is satisfactory from 101 to 200, poor from 300 to 400, and severe from 401 to 500.