West Bengal Pollution Control Board Chairman mocks at air quality of Mumbai, Delhi

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 13 : Amid poor air quality indices across various metropolitan cities in India, West Bengal Pollution Control Board Chairman Kalyan Rudra said that Kolkata stands in a much better position compared to not just Delhi but even Mumbai.
"The air quality is far better than even Mumbai; forget about Delhi. In the metropolitan cities (Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai), Chennai having sea-side location, has the advantage of land breeze and sea breeze, Chennai is little better (AQI) than Kolkata. But compared to Delhi and Mumbai, Kolkata is far better," Kalyan Rudra said, speaking to ANI on Monday.
Rudra said that while PM 2.5 was 74 microgram average, the PM 10 average was 136.
"We have dynamic data. We are monitoring it (air quality) at 175 locations, all over West Bengal. PM 2.5 is 74 micrograms average and minimum was 43 and maximum was 112. The PM10 average was 136, while 77 is the mimimum and 207 was the maximum," he said.
The state Pollution Control Board Chairman said that in central Calcutta, the PM 10 average was 80 micrograms, while the permissible limit is 100 micrograms.
"In central Calcutta, like Ballygunj campus of Calcutta University, the average is 80 micrograms, while the permissible limit is 100 micrograms. It is well within the limit," he said.
Lauding his team for creating the most intensive network of monitoring Air Quality Index (AQI) in the country, he said, "I am proud that our team has created the most intensive network of monitoring of AQI in the country."
A thick layer of smog engulfed Delhi and its adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday morning, a day after people celebrated Diwali by bursting crackers across the city and contributing to the deteriorating air quality.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) at several places in Delhi-NCR was in the 'severe' or 'severe plus' category for the past several days.