Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

, historically known as Calcutta,is the capital of the Indian state of

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...

. There are many environmental issues in Kolkata, severely affecting its

biophysical environment A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale ...

as well as

human health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

. Air pollution,

water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. ...

garbage Garbage, trash, rubbish, or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or gaseous wastes, or toxic waste produ ...

, and Pollution of the natural environment are prevalent in Kolkata.

Introduction

According to data released in 2009 by the Scientific and Environmental Research Institute, atmospheric suspended particulate matter (SPM) in Kolkata was 511. This made Kolkata the most polluted metropolitan city in India, followed respectively by

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

, Delhi and

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. In a 6-years long study completed in 2007, the

Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute is a cancer care hospital and research institute and one of the 27 regional cancer centres in India. It is located in Kolkata near Jatin Das Park metro station at Hazra More. It was formally inaugurated b ...

(CNCI) found that 70% of residents of Kolkata suffer from

respiratory disease Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, bro ...

s, like lung cancer,

dyspnea Shortness of breath (SOB), also medically known as dyspnea (in AmE) or dyspnoea (in BrE), is an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. The American Thoracic Society defines it as "a subjective experience of breathing di ...

and

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

, caused by air pollution. According to the CNCI study, 18.4 cases of lung cancer per 100,000 people were reported from Kolkata. According to data collected in 2010 by the

Central Pollution Control Board The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India is a statutory organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Mo.E.F.C.C.). It was established in 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of pollution) Act, ...

(CPCB), Kolkata, along with Delhi, is among the worst affected Indian cities when it comes to air pollution. Between 2009 and 2011, the highest number of lung cancer cases in India were reported from Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. According to a report prepared by the

Centre for Science and Environment Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is a not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi, India. Established in 1980, CSE works as a think tank on environment-development issues in India, poor planning, ...

(CSE), among the number of cancer cases reported between 2009 and 2011, the most frequent cases were of lung cancer with a share of 12%. According to an article published in ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'', Kolkata has been nicknamed the "lung cancer capital of India". In the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

's (WHO) ranking of cities by air pollution, Kolkata ranks 25th among a total of 1100 cities. Air pollution is high in Kolkata despite the city's relatively low rates of car ownership, compared to other large Indian cities, and its strong public transport. It may be possible to reduce Kolkata's energy emissions through measures that also save money, such as parking demand management and improved vehicle efficiency standards.

Water pollution

A 2003 report released by the Federation of Consumer Associations (FCA) found that much of the

drinking water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ...

in Kolkata was polluted with

human waste Human waste (or human excreta) refers to the waste products of the human digestive system, menses, and human metabolism including urine and faeces. As part of a sanitation system that is in place, human waste is collected, transported, treate ...

. According to this report, 87% of reservoirs supplying water to residential buildings were contaminated with human excrement. There were significant traces of faecal matter in 63% of faucets, and 20% of the water samples collected from various city hospitals were also found to be contaminated. The study reported that approximately one-fifth of the deep water wells and hand pumps operated by the

Kolkata Municipal Corporation Kolkata Municipal Corporation (abbreviated KMC; also Calcutta Municipal Corporation) is the local government of the Indian city of Kolkata, the state capital of West Bengal. This civic administrative body administers an area of . Its motto, ' ...

were polluted with human waste. The former director of the

All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIH&PH) is a pioneering Indian institute for research and training in public health and allied sciences in Kolkata. It was established on 30 December 1932 with assistance from the Rockefeller ...

blamed the ongoing water pollution on a leaky sewer system and water pressure abnormalities.

References

{{reflist, 30em Kolkata

Introduction

Water pollution

See also

References