A day after Diwali, air quality 'poor' in Kolkata, neighbourhood
Kolkata (PTI): Air quality remained 'poor' in Kolkata and its neighbourhood on Monday morning, a day after Kali Puja and Diwali, as a haze engulfed the metropolis, officials said.
Such a situation was not only caused by the bursting of firecrackers on Sunday, but also due to weather conditions during this time of the year when small particulate matters remain in the air with the presence of fog and smoke, they said.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) reading was 284 at Victoria Memorial and 262 at Fort William in Kolkata, while it was 310 in Ghusuri in neighbouring Howrah district on Monday morning, West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) data showed.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe', the officials said.
The control room at Paribesh Bhavan, the headquarters WBPCB was functioning till late in the night on Sunday, while drone surveillance and mobile teams were also in operation at various hotspots in the city and adjacent areas, they said.
Environmentalist Naba Dutta said the pollution levels shot up after sunset on Sunday, as celebrations with fireworks began in different parts of the city. "If the pollution levels aggravate, it will cause respiratory problems," he cautioned.
"We recommend sprinkling water on plants in the evening to reduce the effect of pollution," another green activist Somendra Mohan Ghosh said.
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Bengaluru Police bust major drug network; 16 arrested, narcotics worth Rs 36.67 crore seized
Bengaluru: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking and illegal narcotics trade, Bengaluru City Police have arrested 16 accused persons and seized narcotic substances worth Rs 36.67 crore.
According to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, those arrested include four foreign nationals, eight persons from other states and four locals. Police said the network had interstate as well as international links.
Police recovered 9 kg 64 grams of MDMA, 5 kg 195 grams of hydro ganja, 19,755 LSD strips, 156 grams of heroin, 618 grams of charas, 332 grams of cocaine, 315 grams of drug-mixed gummies and 11 kg 470 grams of ganja from the accused.
The Commissioner said the action was carried out as part of a major anti-drug operation in the city. The network was busted with the support of the CCB Narcotics Control Squad and police stations of Bagaluru, Adugodi, Chikkajala, HSR Layout, Yeshwanthpur, Jalahalli and Jnanabharathi.
Cases were registered in CCB, East Division and West Division police stations based on specific intelligence received on different dates, following which raids were conducted.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were procuring drugs at lower prices from foreign, interstate and local sources and selling them in Bengaluru at higher rates.
Police said college students and working professionals were among the main targets of the accused.
