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2024 Supreme(Online)(NGT) 337
Item No.05 Court No.1 BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL EASTERN ZONE BENCH, KOLKATA (THROUGH PHYSICAL HEARING WITH HYBRID MODE)
Original Application No.175/2023/EZ IN THE MATTER OF In Re.:- “Questions arise over limited AQI monitoring machines in Kolkata compared to Delhi, Mumbai” News item published in the Lokmat Times English dated. 27.11.2023 ...Applicant(s)
Versus
1. Member Secretary, West Bengal Pollution Control Board, Paribesh Bhawan, Sector-III, Salt Lake, Bidhannagar, Kolkata-700106, 2. Central Pollution Control Board, through its Chairman, Parivesh Bhawan, East Arjun Nagar, Delhi – 110032, 3. Principal Secretary, Department of Environment, Government of West Bengal, 5th Floor, Pranisampad Bhawan, Block LB-II, Salt Lake, Sector III, Bidhannagar, Kolkata – 700106, 4. Municipal Commissioner, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, 1st Floor, Central Municipal Office (CMO)
5 SN Banerjee Road, Kolkata 700 013, ...Respondent(s)
Date of hearing: 26.04.2024 CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE B. AMIT STHALEKAR, JUDICIAL MEMBER HON’BLE DR. ARUN KUMAR VERMA, EXPERT MEMBER For Applicant(s) : Suo Motu, For Respondent(s) : Mr. Dipanjan Ghosh, Advocate for R-1, Mr. Rajib Ray, Advocate for R-2, (in Virtual Mode)
Mr. Sudip Kumar Dutta, Adv. for R-3, (in Virtual Mode)
Mr. Sibojyoti Chakraborty, Advocate a/w Mr. Prithwish Basu, Adv. for R-4, (in Virtual Mode)
ORDER
1. The present Original Application was taken up in pursuance of an article published in the Lokmat Times English dated 27.11.2023 raising concerns over the limited AQI Monitoring Machines in Kolkata.
2. The article mentions that the total number of automatic Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) in Kolkata is only 7 compared to 35 in National Capital Region (NCR) and 25 in Mumbai. This, according to the article, deprives the public of getting a 360 degree picture of the pollution level scenario in the city.
3. It is also stated that the West Bengal Pollution Control Board had committed itself to the installation of 10 additional automatic Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) machines in the city in 2022 but the same have not been installed till date. The Report also mentions that some of the automatic CAAQMS machines in the city of Kolkata are nonfunctional and inactive and some show wrong data. The article mentions that 7 automatic CAAQMS machines are totally insufficient for a city of the size and population of Kolkata. The article reads as under: -
“Questions arise over limited AQI monitoring machines in Kolkata compared to Delhi, Mumbai Kolkata, Nov 27 At a time when the air quality index (AQI) is deteriorating fast in Kolkata, questions are being raised about the limited number of CAAQMS machines, meant for monitoring AQI in different pockets of the city, compared to Mumbai and National Capital Region (NCR). According to acclaimed green technologist and environment activist Somendra Mohan Ghosh, the total number of automatic Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) machines in Kolkata is just seven, compared to 35 in the NCR and 25 in Mumbai. This, according to him, deprives the public of getting a 360 degree picture of the pollution level scenario in the city. He also claimed that although the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) promised installation of 10 additional automatic CAAQMS machines in the city last year, the same is yet to see the light of the day till date.
“These 10 are overdue for installation in some critical areas at Kolkata where air pollution levels are higher than average level and are pending since March 2022. The WBPCB knows the reason better but citizens are suffering,” he added.
Ghosh further pointed out that even some of the automatic CAAQMS machines in the city are at times non-functional with some being totally inactive and some showing wrong data.
City-based environment activist Naba Dutta too agreed with Ghosh that just seven automatic CAAQMS machines are simply not enough for a city like Kolkata, which is already among the top ten polluted cities in the world.
“Even as per standards of other national metros the number is too less. We had been for a long time interacting with the state government and the competent authorities on this count so that additional automatic CAAQMS machines were installed. But our efforts are yet to bear fruits,” Dutta added.
He also said that the issue of non-functional machines too has come to the notice of environmentalists. “We are actively pursuing to rectify these areas and our efforts will be on,” Dutta said.
Repeated attempts made by their correspondent to contact the West Bengal Minister Incharge of environment department Md Ghulam Rabbani failed. Both his mobile numbers were perpetually out of reach.
Environmental activists feel that LED displays are capable of displaying real time air quality data from CAAQMS stations using the data acquisition software at the central server.
“It displays current time and date via satellite and various weather and ambient air parameters such as CO, PM2.5 and PM10 along with calculated AQI from a local CAAQMS station setup by the Central Pollution Control Board. “Do not know whether it is international or non-intentional. Even if it is nonintentional, who will take the responsibility for it?” Ghosh questioned”
4. Considering the matter, following were impleaded
