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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55-bed free palliative care centre to open near Bengaluru’s Nelamangala
Bengaluru: A new 55-bed palliative care centre for terminally ill patients, named the Nemmadi Centre for Palliative Care, will be inaugurated near Nelamangala on Sunday. The facility will offer all services completely free of cost.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald on Saturday, the centre has been set up by the Sukruthi Charitable Trust in collaboration with Rotary Bangalore Midtown. Around Rs 20 crore has been invested in the project, which will operate without a billing counter, ensuring that families do not have to pay for treatment.
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The centre will provide comprehensive palliative care, including medical support, counselling for patients and their families, and bereavement care. The facility aims to help families cope with the physical and emotional challenges of caring for terminally ill patients.
“A cornerstone of the project was the generous donation of land by former MLC E Krishnappa, which made the centre possible,” DH quoted Palani Loganathan as saying.
The inauguration ceremony will be attended by Madhusudan Sai, founder of the Sri Madhusudan Sai Global Humanitarian Mission, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Rajya Sabha MP Dr C.N. Manjunath who also serves as the chief medical advisor to the centre will also be present, along with several senior government officials and healthcare leaders.
