Bengal govt to write to Railways over air pollution in north Kolkata siding | Kolkata

Kolkata, Expressing concern over the rise in air pollution in Cossipore railway siding in north Kolkata, West Bengal Minister for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development, Firhad Hakim, on Monday said that the state government will write a letter to the Railways to address the issue.

An Eastern Railways spokesperson told PTI that the Railways will explain its stand over the issue once it gets the letter from the West Bengal government but asserted that issues of sanitation, solid waste management and garbage disposal on a daily basis, which contribute a lot in having an ambient environment, are the domain of the state and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation .

TMC MLA from Kashipur-Belgachia constituency, Atin Ghosh, raised the issue in the first half of the assembly, stating that pollution due to loading and unloading operations in the Cossipore-Chitpur siding is causing great discomfort to the people in the area and the air pollution shoots up to alarming levels in the vicinity of the tracks.

He demanded an early solution to the issue.

In response, Hakim said in the House, “We know it has been a serious problem. We will write a letter to the Railways to address the problem on a long-term basis. On its part, the state government and the KMC will extend all support to the Railways on this issue.”

Ghosh also said the West Bengal Pollution Control Board should be more active and responsive to the situation.

WBPCB president Kalyan Rudra told PTI that the state pollution watchdog always monitors the air pollution index in the region but since the issue has been flagged in the assembly, they will officially communicate about the issue whenever asked.

Another WBPCB official said air pollution increases whenever the loading and unloading operation takes place in the railway siding.

“We take steps to sprinkle water in the areas near the siding,” he added.

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