Kolkata: In a bid to reduce air pollution across this metropolis, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has planned to disburse environment- friendly ovens to slums and food shops in Ward 56 to replace the coal-fired ovens as trial of a pilot project.
With the setting of winter months, air pollution is posing not only breathing trouble, particularly to the elders in the dusk an early morning, but it also causes visibility to a large extent.
The civic body, with the help of other stakeholders, has been contemplating possible and economical means to reduce the pollution level which has taken Kolkata in the top rankings in terms of air pollution.
The West Bengal Pollution Control Board has decided to hand over environment-friendly ovens to the KMC which are expected to substantially bring down pollution levels in the city, a report said on Tuesday.
These eco-friendly ovens will replace the coal fired ovens or chullas,which are a major source of pollution in the city.
The ovens will also be given to the roadside food shops.
Member Mayor In Council Swapan Samaddar, Environment department, KMC said the eco-friendly ovens will be introduced in Ward 56 where gas stoves are rarely used and people are more dependent on coal fired ones. These will be distributed to the people free-of-cost.
State PCB chairman Kalyan Rudra is learnt to have remarked that the PCB intends to reduce the dependency on the use of coal-fired ovens in the state by 50 per cent. For now, about 3000 such eco-friendly ovens are being handed over to the KMC.
