Roadside eateries in the city that use clay ovens for cooking will get electric ovens, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday, adding that it was one of the steps the government was taking to reduce air pollution.
The plan was to replace clay ovens with electric induction cookers, an official of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) said.
Metro had reported in January that a study by the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) found that emission from coal and wood burning in roadside eateries contributes to the city’s worsening air quality, as does vehicular pollution.
“You will see that there are roadside eateries where food is cooked in clay ovens. They also contribute to pollution. The state government and the Calcutta Municipal Corporation are trying to give electric ovens to those who use clay ovens,” Mamata said. “We are doing a lot of things to curb pollution. We will see reduction in pollution in a year’s timeThe chief minister was speaking at Nazrul Mancha after she walked in a rally from Birla Planetarium to the auditorium on Southern Avenue as part of the Save Green Stay Clean campaign. The walk was aimed at raising awareness about the need for greenery.
A survey conducted by the corporation recently had revealed that around 12,000 street food stalls in the city use wood or coal for cooking.
“We had taken the services of the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management to conduct the survey. There are about 12,000 stalls in Calcutta that use wood or coal for cooking,” a corporation official said. “We will provide electric induction cookers to those who are using clay ovensTalks are on with CESC to provide electricity to the stalls. “We have spoken to CESC. They will install individual meters at the stalls,” the official said.
The chief minister sought co-operation from the hawkers to help clean the city’s air.
Air quality stations Mamata inaugurated an air quality monitoring station, the city’s seventh, at Rabindra Sarobar on Thursday.
Source: The Telegraph
