West Bengal Pollution Control Board: Rising up to the occasion

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ith the pace of modernisation and urbanisation picking up almost everyday in this fast changing world, development may not always

come as an unblemished bliss. This necessitates, for one thing, the rising need of having a tab on the pollution level in the environment. And this is precisely what the

West Bengal Pollution Control Board is there for, keeping the check and balance. No doubt the gamut of its lookout is broad and wide, and the WBPCB is definitely up to the

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Actions against automobile Training programme on where 24 teachers and 176 pollution Environmental Law and Noise students took part. Studies reveal that 50% of the Control for police and Law Environmental monitoring air pollution load in Kolkata is students T he West Bengal Pollution caused by the vehicles. The W ith a view to create awareness Control Board is taking actions for number of registered vehicles has on the necessity for preservation of environmental monitoring through gone up from 4,94,311 in 1990environment and to have effective air and water quality assessment. 91 to 8,41,530 in 2003-04. control of noise pollution, the West Air quality assessment: Various actions related to Bengal Pollution Control Board The occurrence of air pollution is automobile pollution control in has organised a series of training mainly due to expanding indusWest Bengal by the West Bengal programmes for police personnel tries and growing number of Pollution Control Board is stated and Law students. During 2005vehicle within the state. The West below. 06, six training programmes on Bengal pollution Control Board Actions already taken: air-noise pollution monitoring and had initiated air quality monitoring a EURO-I (India 2000) norms for control techniques have been of Kolkata through a limited all vehicles from 2000. organised by the West Bengal number of stations in 1992 and a EURO-II (Bharat Stage-II) Pollution Control Board, in which generally expanded its monitoring norms for new passenger cars and network to systematic other vehicles from 2001. pattern from December Passenger cars and other 1998. At present the air vehicles from 2001. quality of Kolkata is a Unleaded petrol available Studies reveal that monitored through 17 fixed in Kolkata from 2000. monitoring stations. The 50% of the air pollution load a Benzene content in petrol reduced to 3% from in Kolkata is caused by the vehicles. WBPCB has also commissioned fire sophisticated 2001. Use, sale and The number of registered automatic ambient air distribution of loose 2T oil vehicles has gone up from quality monitoring stations banned from 2001. at Howrah, Haldia, Durga4,94,311 in 1990-91 to a Selling of 2T premixed pur, Victoria Memorial and fuel made mandatory 8,41,530 in 2003-04. Cossipur in the state as well through nozzle from 2001. as monitors air quality of 28 a Registration of only LPG locations within West driven automobiles in 165 participants from the West Bengals industrial hub. The Board Kolkata from June 2003. Bengal Police, Kolkata Police, monitors different parameters like Action Plan for controlling faculty members of the SPM, RAM, NOx, SOx, 03, Co etc. automobile pollution: a Phasing out of very old Barrackpore Police Training Water quality assessment: vehicles. College and motor vehicle With regard to monitoring the river a Conversion of in-use inspectors participated. water quality, the WBPCB monitors commercial vehicles to LPG The West Bengal Pollution the physicochemical and where technology exixts. Control Board has also arranged bacteriological parameters of the a Ensuring availability LPG as training programme for the Law river ganga at 12 location as well automotive fuel. students in order to enable them to as the Water quality of other a Ensuring availability of very low deal with the complicated important rivers like Damodar, sulpher petrol and diesel environmental laws and its Mahananda and Rupnarayan etc. (containing 0.05% sulpher) applications. The Water quality of Water throughout the state. These training programmes bodies, different canals and sewage a Reduction of benzene content were held at the headquarters of channels of Kolkata as well as the in petrol up to 1%. West Bengal Pollution Control ground water quality at selected a Introduction of better Board at Salt Lake. points are monitored. The inspection and maintenance Besides, two one-day training bacteriological quality of piped system. programmes on the same water supply in Municipal area a Improvement of traffic subjects were also arranged for and bacteriological quality of planning. Upgradation of PUC the college and university teachers battled drinking water are also Centres. and students in March 2006, monitored by the WBPCB.n

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