Minister Agnimitra Paul says rose water to be used to spray fog in Kolkata; the environmentalist slams the motion

West Bengal minister Agnimitra Paul says rose water will be mixed into fog on special occasions, while environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh says the city’s air needs to be cleaned at the source.

West Bengal Urban Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul said that on special occasions rose water would be mixed with water normally used for fogging to reduce air pollution in the city.

The move drew criticism from an environmentalist who argued that the city’s air needed to be cleaned at source, not through such cosmetic interventions.

In a Facebook post in Bengali, Ms. Paul said that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) regularly sprays water mist at various locations across the city, especially in areas where the air quality index (AQI) is relatively high. This was done under the direction of the state government to control air pollution in Kolkata and clean the city’s environment.

The initiative helps reduce the concentration of dust particles in the air and keeps AQI levels somewhat under control, she said.

Apart from these measures, rose water will be mixed with water used to spray mist on special occasions and during various festivals, including Kali Puja, she said.

“This will not only help control dust particles in the air but will also spread the pleasant fragrance of rose water to the surrounding environment… Our aim is to build a cleaner, fresher and more fragrant Kolkata. We will continue our efforts to make the city more livable,” Ms Paul said in a post on Saturday (November 7, 2026).

“A few days ago, during my visit to London, I noticed that the AQI in several areas was below 10 and in some places it was even close to 1. That was truly astounding. In contrast, the AQI in Kolkata rarely falls below 200 for most of the year,” she said.

This situation worries the health of all residents, which is why the authorities are constantly trying to improve the air quality in the city, the minister said.

Environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh on Sunday (November 8, 2026) questioned Ms Paul’s proposal, saying the city needed concrete measures to curb air pollution rather than cosmetic interventions.

“Sprinkling rose water might make the air smell nice temporarily, but it wouldn’t solve the underlying pollution problem. Rose water won’t fix Kolkata’s air. But clean action will. With all due respect to the minister, the smell will disappear within two minutes. Kolkata’s air doesn’t need perfume, it needs to be cleaned at the source,” Mr Ghosh said.

Mr Ghosh also said aging diesel and petrol vehicles are among the major contributors to PM2.5, PM10 and black carbon emissions. To keep the air clean, he urged the authorities to stop the practice of coal-fired stoves in restaurants and food stalls, and suggested switching to cleaner LPG or electric cooking systems with financial and logistical support for small vendors.

He also proposed deploying 100 water cannons across the city to wash roads, flyovers and dusty corridors, claiming the measure would help settle suspended dust particles and remove accumulated dust from tree leaves.

On Sunday afternoon, ahead of Kali Puja and Deepavali, Kolkata’s average AQI (PM2.5) was 165, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. This figure is described as “moderate” (101-200) on the CPCB scale.

However, data from individual monitoring stations operated by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) in recent days has indicated a significant variation in pollution levels in different districts.

The AQI touched 232 in the “Poor” category on 7 November 2026, with monitoring stations in Jadavpur and Bidhannagar recording particularly high levels of pollution. Other monitored locations, including Ballygunge, Fort William, Rabindra Bharati University, Rabindra Sarobar and Victoria, reported moderate air quality.

Published – 8 Nov 2026 20:02 IST