Pollution check: ‘PM 2.5 in Bengal dips in both rural & urban areas’

MP | 7 July 2023 | Kolkata: Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 in Bengal has decreased sharply in both rural and urban areas between 2017 to 2022, a latest study revealed. Rural PM 2.5 levels have decreased by 15.6 per cent while urban PM 2.5 has dipped by 14.9 per cent during the period. 

“This is the result of our continued research and actions in curbing air pollution. But we have a long way to go,“ Kalyan Rudra, Chairman of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board said. The PM 2.5 levels in the rural and urban regions across India are not very different and have witnessed a similar trend of decline over the last few years. Rural regions saw PM 2.5 levels decline by 19.1 per cent and urban regions recorded an 18.7 per cent dip between 2017 and 2022. 

The study, conducted by Climate Trends, a private research-based consulting and capacity-building initiative has used two different datasets in the analysis Dr Sagnik Dey’s SAANS data from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, for PM2.5 estimation and the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) data for urban and rural classification. 

The data analysis shows that PM 2.5 across the rural and urban regions have plateaued over the last six years and is witnessing a consistent decline. With a reduction of 37.8 per cent and 38.1 per cent in urban and rural PM 2.5 levels, respectively, Uttar Pradesh has recorded the best progress from 2017 to 2022. Maharashtra was the worst performing state, with only a dip of 7.7 per cent in its urban PM 2.5 levels, while with a decrease of 8.2 per cent in its rural PM 2.5 levels, Gujarat made the least progress among all states. 

The western Union Territories (UTs) of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu made little progress, with approximately a 4-7 per cent decrease in PM 2.5 from 2017 to 2022. With urban PM 2.5 levels up by 0.3 level, Chandigarh was the only union territory to see an increase. 

The study highlights the need to address air pollution on a broader scale rather than focusing solely on urban areas. Efforts to mitigate air pollution should encompass a more comprehensive approach that addresses pollution sources in both rural and urban settings. Managing the air quality of entire airsheds should be the preferred policy route. 

 https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/pollution-check-pm-25-in-bengal-dips-in-both-rural-urban-areas-524764