Darjeeling to join the list of polluted cities of West Bengal, reveals study

A recent study by scientists has revealed that Darjeeling may become one of the most polluted cities of West Bengal.

A recent study by scientists has revealed that Darjeeling, the queen of hills and a popular tourist destination may be on the way to becoming one of the most polluted cities of West Bengal.

The results of the study published in a paper titled ‘PM10 within Indian standard is achievable by mitigating the sources of PM1: A thirteen years (2009–2021) long study and future prediction (2024) over the eastern Himalayas, India’ , has come as a shock to not only the people of Darjeeling but also to millions of visitors who throng the hill station every year.

“The present study throws light on one of the geographically, climatically, and ecologically important high-altitude Himalayan stations in India where people have been contributing as well as experiencing huge pollution loads but remained out of sight of the policy makers. The study raises a serious concern in front of the policy makers that a high-altitude tourist station like Darjeeling in the eastern Himalayas would soon become a non-attainment city,” the paper stated.

The six cities in West Bengal that are considered non-attainment cities and did not meet the national ambient air quality standards were Asansol, Durgapur, Kolkata, Howrah, Haldia, and Barrackpore. There are 131 cities across India that are considered non-attainment cities.

The research, spanning from 2009 to 2021, focused on characterising PM10 levels (very small pollutant particles found in dust and smoke) in Darjeeling. It determined that summer (March-May) and winter (December-February) were the two seasons in Darjeeling when PM10 concentrations exceeded 70 micrograms per cubic metre of air, surpassing the Indian standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metre.

“Despite its geographical, climatic, and ecological importance, Darjeeling has remained overlooked by policy makers. The study raises concerns that Darjeeling may soon become a non-attainment city, emphasising the necessity for Central and State pollution control boards to establish robust and continuous monitoring stations for air pollutants in such regions,” Abhijit Chatterjee, Associate Professor at Bose Institute, Kolkata and one of the authors of the study, said.

Abhinandan Ghosh of the Indian Institute of Technology, and the lead author of the publication pointed out that the projections raised serious concerns as PM10 levels were expected to exceed 105 in summer and 90 in winter.