Visibility In Kolkata (Calcutta) Today - 10 Meters - Particulate Matter 451 G/M3 - Times Of India

[hatrack]

KOLKATA: The weather is playing tricks on Kolkata. For the last two days, the city is shrouded in smog so thick that motorists cannot see beyond 10 metres at some places. If Kolkatans are bewildered to see this in a surprisingly warm winter, so are weathermen.

While some believe it is a direct consequence of the sharply rising pollution levels in the city, others blame the rise in surface temperature. The smog is so dense that visitors to South City Mall could not see the imposing structure from the eastern end of Prince Anwar Shah Road, just 500 metres away, on Sunday afternoon. Parts of EM Bypass, VIP Road and the Maidan, too, wore a thick white film of smog.

"It's strange, since visibility is always good in winter afternoons. But over the last two days, Anwar Shah Road and EM Bypass have remained engulfed in thick smog since early afternoon. Rise in surface temperature has led to the change in weather patterns. It has accelerated evaporation, pushing up the moisture levels in the lower strata of the atmosphere. This is why winter has been delayed this time. And now that cold winds are finally blowing in from the north, the trapped moisture is condensing, leading to this unusual smog," explained environmental expert Pranabesh Sanyal.

Environmentalist Dr Tanmoy Rudra held unchecked vehicular pollution the culprit. "Our study shows that both SPM and RPM levels have been more than double compared to last year's figures at places where there is a concentration of auto-rickshaw and taxis. The auto-rickshaws running on kata tel (adulterated fuel) play havoc with the air quality," he said.

EDIT

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata_/Smog_blanket_blinds_Kolkata/articleshow/3843089.cms

[asjr]

1. It seems India has changed Calcutta's spelling

but obviously it is still a Black Hole.

[ashling]

2. HA HA

I have less problem with the Bombay-Mumbai thing! LOL

[Dogmudgeon]

3. 451 g - four grams less than a pound

Four grams is about 1/7 of an ounce.

That much garbage in each cubic meter of "air". The mind boggles.

Vehicular pollution alone? No offense to Dr. Rudra, but I doubt it. They burn a lot of coal in India.

--p!