India's Most Polluted City

A six year study conducted by the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, has concluded that 18 out of every 100,000 persons in Kolkata fall victim to lung cancer annually. A staggering 7 out of 10 people in this megapolis are afflicted with some form of respiratory ailment. There is a definite link between the rising incidence of respiratory and other ailments in the city and the deterioration in the quality of air. School going children are developing asthma while older people are developing cancer. It is given that the urgent need to introduce cleaner fuels like CNG and LPG along with immediate phasing out of public (commercial) transport vehicles over 15 years.

That Kolkata has overtaken Delhi as India's most polluted city is a clear indication of the all around failure of the Government and administration to foresee and plan for a better future for its residents. Newly emerging cities can learn from the mismanagement of Kolkata and take preventive steps with a clear blueprint for maintaining the quality of air. What is more appalling is the attitude of the concerned ministries (and ministers) who have excuses for everything and are masters in passing on the buck. These few people are destroying our children's future for small political gains. While Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai have all taken important steps to at least control the vehicular emmission and reduce pollution levels gradually, there has been complete inaction in Kolkata.

The present growth in pollution levels will make the air almost unbreathable by 2010. The worst sufferers will be the traffic policemen, street hawkers, and anyone who has to breathe this toxic air for half an hour daily.