In the focus on Delhi, the air pollution crisis in Kolkata is being overlooked

Delhi’s air pollution crisis is one of the most talked-about global issues relating to environment and climate change. As a result, a multitude of efforts have been taken to alleviate the smog clouding India’s capital city – from the UN taking regular stock of the situation and suggesting steps to control the pollution to the national and local Delhi governments making and implementing policies on the ground – and in the air.

However, the same sense of urgency goes missing when it comes to other Indian cities where the air is equally polluted, and at times even more so. Kolkata, one of the largest Indian metros with a population of more than 14 million, is one such city that has been grappling with severe air pollution in recent times.

According to a 2022 report on global air quality, Kolkata was the second-most polluted city in the world in 2019 when taking the city’s population into account. During Diwali – India’s Festival of Lights – in November 2023 and throughout the winter, Kolkata’s air quality remained hazardous and unhealthy.

Diwali is celebrated by burning fireworks, which release hazardous gases into the air. A 2022 study, which assessed air quality over the Indo-Gangetic Plains during the Diwali season, found that...

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