A day after Diwali, air quality 'poor' in Kolkata, neighbourhood

Air quality remained ‘poor’ in Kolkata and its neighbourhood on Monday morning, a day after Kali Puja and Diwali, as a haze engulfed the metropolis, officials said.

Such a situation was not only caused by the bursting of firecrackers on Sunday, but also due to weather conditions during this time of the year when small particulate matters remain in the air with the presence of fog and smoke, they said.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) reading was 284 at Victoria Memorial and 262 at Fort William in Kolkata, while it was 310 in Ghusuri in neighbouring Howrah district on Monday morning, West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) data showed.