Calcutta Removes Old Cars to Clean Air

In order to clean the air in Calcutta, officials have begun enforcing a rule that removes all vehicles manufactured before 1993, mandated by the city's High Court.

1 minute read

August 7, 2009, 1:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


Air quality has already shown improvements, and there is less traffic on the city's roads. Public transit, however, has been bombarded with large crowds and heavy delays.

"A survey done by the Calcutta-based Saviour and Friend of Environment (Safe) says that around the city's four most polluted intersections - the Dunlop crossing, the Shyambazar five-point crossing, Park Circus and the Rashbehari Avenue-SP Mukherjee Road crossing - hydrocarbon levels more than halved.

That is important because high hydrocarbon levels have been blamed for an increase in liver and kidney illnesses as well as higher level of cancer."

Thursday, August 6, 2009 in BBC

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