Overview
- The WBPCB has begun a collaborative study with Columbia University’s Clean Air Initiative and Bengaluru-based CSTEP to compare toxicity across regions.
- Officials said similar AQI readings in Kolkata, Durgapur and Jalangi prompted the shift from concentration metrics to composition-focused analysis.
- Columbia, led by Faye McNeill, will calibrate sensor data, conduct analyses and provide policy advisory support.
- The Board operates around 400 monitoring stations across West Bengal that report data every 15 minutes, forming the backbone of the research.
- WBPCB chairman Kalyan Rudra highlighted open data sharing with researchers and noted NCAP-era gains in Kolkata’s PM10, while stressing that results from the new toxicity study are not yet available.