Air quality improves in Kolkata

Air quality in the Indian city of Kolkata has improved following the implementation of the program of phasing out polluting public vehicles, West Bengal Environment Minister Sailen Sarkar said. “The noticeable reduction of carcinogenic pollutants like benzene level in Kolkata air indicates that the decision of the State Government to phase out petrol-driven two-stroke auto-rickshaws by LPG-driven ones has been very successful,” Sarker said, adding that the lowering of carbon monoxide level was due to the increased fuel efficiency of the phased-out old vehicles and buses as well as the use of catalytic converters in new generation vehicles. (December 17, 2009)